THIS  COPY  OF  THE 
CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 
IS  THE 

PERSONAL  PROPERTY  OF 

PRESENTED  AT  THE 
REQUEST  OF 

John  Shields  &  Sons 

Washington.,. ..Ixswa* 

WITH  THE  COMPLIMENTS 
OF  THE 


LEHIGH  PORTLAND 
CEMENT  COMPANY 


Contractors 
Handy  Book 

—on  everyday 
concrete  jobs 


LEHIGH  PORTLAND 
CEMENT  COMPANY 


LEHIGH  PORTLAND 
CEMENT  COMPANY 


Offices 

ALLENTOWN,  PA.  CHICAGO,  ILL. 

BIRMINGHAM,  ALA.  SPOKANE,  WASH. 


New  York,  N.  Y. 
Boston,  Mass. 
Buffalo,  N.  Y. 
Philadelphia,  Pa. 


Richmond,  Va. 
New  Castle,  Pa. 
Pittsburgh,  Pa. 
Cleveland,  O. 
Baltimore,  Md. 


Kansas  City,  Mo. 
Omaha,  Neb. 
Mason  City,  Iowa 
Minneapolis,  Minn. 


Mills 


West  Coplay,  Pa. 
Chapman,  Pa. 

Ormrod,  Pa.  (3  mills) 
Sandt’s  Eddy,  Pa. 

New  Castle,  Pa.  (3  mills) 
Fordwick,  Va. 

Alsen,  N.  Y. 


Birmingham,  Ala. 
Mitchell,  Ind.  (2  mills) 
Oglesby,  Ill. 

Mason  City,  Iowa 
Iola,  Kansas 
Metaline  Falls,  Wash. 
Bath,  Pa. 


Union  Bridge,  Md. 


Copyright,  1926,  by 
Lehigh  Portland  Cement  Company 
Allentown,  Pa. 


Third  Edition 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 

Plans  and  Materials  for  page 

Barn  Approach .  51 

Cold-Frames .  81 

Curbs,  Separate . 36—38 

Combined,  and  Gutter .  39 

Driveway .  32 

Fence  Posts .  82- 

Floor,  Porch .  11 

Garage .  28 

Poultry  House .  60 

Garage .  28 

Garage  Drives . 19-27 

Gutter,  Combined,  and  Curb .  39 

Down  Spout .  4 

Separate .  36 

Hog  Houses .  65 

Hog  Runs .  63 

Hotbeds .  81 

Manure  Pits . .71-74 

Parapets,  Lawn . 13-18 

Piers,  Building . 75-80’ 

Post,  Hitching .  41 

Septic  Tank . 42-46 

Sidewalk .  36 

Steps,  Entrance . 2 

Lawn .  6 

Small .  4 

Storage  Cellars .  54 

Walks,  Service .  9 

Through  Lawn .  6-8 

Wallows,  Hog .  68 

■Watering  Troughs .  47 

Notes  on 

Aggregates . 95-113 

Forms .  86 

Foundations .  84 

Reinforcing  Steel .  116 


Tables  and  Data  page 

Areas  and  Weights  of  Steel  Bars .  116 

Bearing  Capacity  of  Soils .  85 

Board  Feet  in  Lumber .  S9 

Colorimetric  Test  for  Sand . 108-109 

Materials  Required  for  1  Cubic  \  ard  of  Concrete .  115 

Materials  Required  for  Sidewalks  and  Floors .  120 

Proportions  for  Concrete .  1 14 

Sand,  Coarse .  ^ 

Fine .  I13 

Medium .  112 

Stucco .  90 

Stucco  Textures .  93 

Silt  Test  for  Sand . 

Volume  of  Concrete .  107 

Weights  of  Aggregates .  106 

Weights  of  Building  Materials .  1 19 

Weights  of  Masonry . 

Weights  of  Material . 117-118 


PREFACE 


'T'HE  publication  of  this  book  is  tne  result  of  a 

A  realization,  gained  through  our  nation-wide  con¬ 
tact  with  contractors,  of  the  need  for  information 
that  will  assist  in  securing  permanent  satisfaction  in 
concrete  construction  through  the  combination  of 
dependable  materials  with  competent  workmanship. 

We  trust  that  contractors  will  find  within  these 
covers  many  helpful  ideas  and  suggestions  which  will 
be  a  real  aid  in  solving  problems  connected  with 
small  jobs  in  concrete  construction.  This  is  not  a 
technical  book,  filled  with  scientific  data,  but  is  de¬ 
voted  exclusively  to  presenting  practical  information 
for  every-day  reference. 

From  these  actual  examples  of  good  design  and 
proper  execution,  contractors  should  be  better  able 
to  demonstrate  to  customers  the  superiority  of 
concrete  construction  with  particular  reference  to  its 
permanence,  beauty  and  economy. 

The  rapid  and  substantial  growth  of  this  company 
is  due  in  a  great  measure  to  the  loyal  patronage  and 
confidence  of  contractors  throughout  the  country. 
To  merit  this  confidence  always  is  our  incentive  for 
continuing  to  produce  cement  of  the  highest  quality 
and  uniformity.  Also  our  20  mills— from  coast  to 
coast— assure  prompt  delivery  service  to  contractors 
in  any  part  of  the  country. 

Where  perplexing  problems  are  encountered  which 
require  additional  information,  we  welcome  the  op¬ 
portunity  to  be  of  service,  and  solicit  such  inquiries. 

All  information  given  has  been  carefully  compiled 
and  it  is  presented  without  guarantee  or  other 
obligation. 

Lehigh  Portland  Cement  Company 


Concrete  Steps 

CONCRETE  steps  are  attractive  and  permanent. 

Because  of  their  contact  with  the  moisture  in 
the  soil,  steps  should  be  constructed  of  a  material 
that  will  not  rot  and  decay,  thus  avoiding  the  neces¬ 
sity  of  periodical  replacement. 

Method 

Tongued  and  grooved  form  lumber  is  preferable,  as 
it  makes  a  much  tighter  and  smoother  job.  Forms 
should  be  completely  built  and  the  fill  of  cinders  or 
gravel  well  soaked  and  packed  in  place  before  placing 
the  concrete.  In  the  two  walls  leave  the  short  top 
boards  out  until  the  concrete  work  is  started,  they 
being  set  in  place  one  at  a  time  as  the  concrete  rises, 
thus  making  it  possible  to  spade  the  concrete  well 
and  eliminate  the  possibility  of  air  holes  or  rock 
pockets  in  the  surface. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


3 


The  concrete  should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
1 :  234 :  4,  being  1  part  of  portland  cement,  234  parts  of 
sand,  and  4  parts  of  stone  or  gravel  graded  in  size 
from  34  inch  to  2  inches.  It  should  be  machine 
mixed  if  possible  and  water  used  sparingly.  Place 
it  all  in  one  operation.  This  makes  a  monolithic 
structure,  eliminating  all  joints.  The  treads  should 
be  finished  rough  with  a  wood  float,  to  make  a  safe, 
non-skid  wearing  surface.  Special  colored  aggregates 
or  bits  of  abrasive  stone  may  be  troweled  into  the 
wearing  surface  as  an  added  precaution  against 
slipping.  After  the  forms  are  removed  all  exposed 
surface  should  be  tooled  or  rubbed  with  an  abrasive 
stone  which  will  remove  the  laitance  and  all  traces  of 
form  lines.  This  treatment  will  give  the  completed 
work  a  very  pleasing  appearance. 

Materials  Required  for  Steps  Shown  in  Plan  and  Photo 


67  cu.  ft.  of  concrete 
Mixture,  1:234:4 

Lehigh  Cement . 14  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under . 134  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  2  inches . 234  cu.  yds. 


Cross-section  of  steps 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


4 


Small  Steps 

THESE  very  unpretentious  steps  proved  a  most 
economical  way  of  solving  the  owner’s  problem. 
Simple  in  construction  and  very  low  in  cost,  they 
serve  as  satisfactorily  in  every  way  as  would  a  much 
more  orpate  and  expensive  type. 

They  are  of  rigid  and  permanent  construction,  and 
are  neat  and  pleasing  in  appearance.  The  gritty, 
non-skid  texture  of  the  finished  concrete  provides  the 
safest  possible  surface  for  walking,  and  permits  en¬ 
trance  without  the  necessity  of  crossing  a  wet  and 
muddy  lawn  or  walk. 

The  down  spout  runoff  provides  a  solution  to  the 
rain  water  problem  in  localities  where  there  are  no 
sewage  facilities.  This  is  very  quickly  and  easily 
built  and  will  last  indefinitely. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


5 


Method 

Concrete  for  the  walk  and  steps  should  be  mixed 
in  proportions  of  1 :  2^:  4,  being  1  part  of  portland 
cement,  parts  of  sand,  and  4  parts  of  stone  or 
gravel  graded  in  size  from  34  inch  to  1  inch.  Mix 
the  concrete  as  dry  as  possible  to  permit  a  workable 
mixture.  Construction  joints  should  be  made  every 
six  feet  in  both  down  spout  runoff  and  sidewalk. 

The  top  step  should  be  pitched  slightly  toward  the 
street,  to  insure  a  dry  step  and  walk  in  all  weather. 
The  surface  should  be  finished  with  a  wood  float. 

The  concrete  for  the  down  spout  runoff  is  mixed 
very  stiff,  and  in  proportions  of  1:2:3,  using  one 
inch  stone.  Due  to  the  small  section,  a  rich  mixture  is 
essential.  Use  a  steel  trowel  to  make  a  smooth  sur¬ 
face  which  will  not  catch  and  hold  leaves  and  other 
debris,  thus  clogging  the  runoff. 


Materials 


Steps 

Walk 

Down  Spout 
Runoff 

Length . 

See  plan 

24'  0" 

20'  0" 

Concrete . 

10  cu.  ft. 

24  cu.  ft. 

9  cu.  ft. 

Mixture . 

1:2M:4 

1:234  =  4 

1:2:3 

Lehigh  Cement . 

2  sacks 

5  sacks 

3  sacks 

Sand,  l/i"  and  under  .  . 

i  cu.  yd. 

34  cu.  yd. 

^  cu.  yd. 

Stone,  Yi"  to  1" . 

34  cu.  yd. 

?4  cu.  yd. 

34  cu.  yd. 

&  Expansion  ^oin  t 


I 


*"  Cinder  T  fill  ;  T 

/  >W'  w/;*7/py/7Fy//±y. 

4 


m 

k  nr-A 

'v7*6* 

K2~*4~ 

Section 

T/Wfw/t 


Cinder 


V/t-y//?// &/£■'///?/ 

Cross  Section  on  4. 


■3-0- 


i  m  • 

Front  Elevation 


Down  Spout  Runofp 


Details  of  construction  for  small  steps  and  down  spout  runoff 


« 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Walk  and  Steps  through 
Terraced  Lawn 

THE  possibilities  of  concrete  in  the  improvement 
of  suburban  property  are  clearly  demonstrated  in 
this  picture.  A  little  thoughtful  planning  will  work 
wonders  on  the  most  modest  of  estates.  First  im¬ 
pressions  are  usually  lasting,  and  concrete  plays  a 
considerable  part  in  making  first  impressions  favor¬ 
able. 


Cinder  till 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


7 


Curved  walk  and  steps  through  terraced  lawn 


8 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


In  addition  to  its  beauty  and  attractiveness,  con¬ 
sider  its  durability,  permanence,  and  low  upkeep. 

Method 

The  steps  must  be  separated  from  the  walks  by 
expansion  joints  34  inch  thick;  otherwise  cracks  will 
develop,  due  to  the  difference  in  thickness. 

All  measurements  for  the  setting  of  forms  for  this 
curved  walk  should  be  taken  from  a  center  stake  set 
24  feet  from  the  outside  edge  of  the  sidewalk  and 
20  feet  from  the  inside. 

The  concrete  should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
1:23^:  4,  being  1  part  of  portland  cement,  2 34  parts 
of  sand,  and  4  parts  of  gravel  or  stone  graded  in  size 
from  34  inch  to  lj 4  inches. 

In  scoring  the  pavement  into  slabs  every  four  feet, 
as  shown  in  the  sketch,  stretch  a  line  from  the  center 
stake  and  take  the  four-foot  measurement  on  the 
inside  line  of  the  walk. 

Finishing  is  done  with  a  wood  float  only,  which  pro¬ 
vides  a  gritty,  non-skid  surface,  and  the  completed 
work  should  be  properly  cured  for  at  least  a  week. 

Materials  Required  for  a  12-Foot  Section  of  Walk 


22  cu.  ft.  of  concrete 
Mixture,  1:23 4:4 

Lehigh  Cement . 434  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  |  cu.  yd. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  134  inches. .  .  T4  cu.  yd. 


Materials  Required  for  Steps,  3  Treads 


29  cu.  ft.  of  concrete 
Mixture,  1 : 234: 4 

Lehigh  Cement . 6  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under . I  cu.  yd. 


Stone,  34  inch  to  134  inches. .  .T97  cu.  yd. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


9 


Service  Sidewalk 

A  CONCRETE  service  sidewalk  provides  easy 
access  to  the  rear  of  the  house,  and  keeps  dirt 
and  mud  out  even  in  the  most  inclement  weather.  It 
is  the  best  possible  insurance  against  accidents — 
people  seldom  slip  or  trip  on  the  gritty,  non-skid 
surface  of  a  concrete  walk. 

Method 

The  concrete  should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
1:23^:  4,  being  1  part  of  Portland  cement,  23dj  parts 
of  sand,  and  4  parts  of  gravel  or  stone  graded  in  size 
from  34  inch  to  \  x/i  inches. 

Construction  joints  should  be  spaced  six  feet  apart 
and  an  expansion  joint  provided  every  twenty-four 
feet;  the  surface  should  be  finished  with  a  wood  float 


10 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


only,  and  should  be  kept  wet  for  six  days  to  properly 
cure  the  sidewalk. 

Materials  Required  for  a  24-Foot  Length  of  Sidewalk 

24  cu.  ft.  of  concrete 
Mixture,  1:234;4 

Lehigh  Cement . 5  bags 

Sand,  34  inch  and  uncier . 34  cu-  yd- 

Stone,  34  inch  to  134  inches . %  cu.  yd. 

4 - & - r - 


h- 


Cross-section  of  sidewalk 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


IX 


Porch  Floor 


CONCRETE  will  provide  a  clean,  sanitary  surface 
for  a  porch  floor.  It  is  quickly  and  thoroughly 
cleaned  with  a  hose  without  possibility  of  rot  or 
i  deterioration.  It  presents  a  smooth,  even,  non-skid 
surface,  that  will  not  be  the  cause  of  constant  repairs- 

I  in  years  to  come. 

Method 

The  foundation  walls  are  first  poured,  using  a  mix¬ 
ture  of  1:23^:  4,  being  1  part  of  portland  cement, 
2J/2  parts  of  sand,  and  4  parts  of  stone  or  gravel 
graded  in  size  from  J4  inch  to  2  inches. 

The  floor  form  is  then  set  rigidly  in  position  and  the 
reinforcing  bars  are  placed  either  in  “chairs  "(see  note) 
which  raise  them  about  an  inch  above  the  bottom  of 

Note:  Chairs  are  formed  of  heavy  wire  and  can  be  purchased,, 
ready  to  use,  along  with  the  order  for  steel  bars. 


12 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


the  slab  or  else  they  are  raised  by  placing  shovelfuls 
of  concrete  under  them.  They  should  be  carefully 
spaced  properly  to  carry  the  load. 

The  concrete  for  the  floor  slab  should  be  mixed  in 
proportion  of  1:2:3,  being  1  part  Portland  cement, 
2  parts  of  sand,  and  3  parts  of  stone  or  gravel,  graded 
in  size  from  34  inch  to  1  inch.  It  should  be  mixed 
with  as  little  water  as  possible.  The  surface  should 
be  finished  with  a  steel  float,  and  can  be  divided  into 
squares  of  any  desired  dimension.  The  floor  should 
be  cured  by  being  kept  wet  for  a  period  of  ten  days 
before  being  used,  and  the  supporting  floor  form 
should  not  be  removed  for  at  least  three  weeks. 

Materials  Required  for  Porch  Floor  Shown  in  Plan  Below 

Walls,  3  feet  deep,  8  inches  wide,  17  feet  long 


Concrete,  90  cu.  ft. 

Mixture ,  1:2^:  4 

Lehigh  Cement . 18  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  1/4  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  2  inches. ...  2%  cu.  yds. 
Floor,  10  feet  x  17  feet  x  4  inches 
Concrete,  56^  cu.  ft. 

Mixture,  1:2:3 

Lehigh  Cement . 14  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  lyV  cu.  yds 

Stone,  34  inch  to  1  inch .  If  cu.  yds. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


13 


Parapet  and  Retaining  Wall 

r  I  AHE  use  of  concrete  for  the  retaining  wall  around 
this  residence  proved  the  easiest  and  most  eco¬ 
nomical  means  of  arranging  the  grounds  in  an  attrac¬ 
tive  manner.  The  wall  brings  the  lawn  to  a  level 
where  it  is  easily  trimmed,  and  the  precast  concrete 
urn  at  the  corner  adds  a  great  deal  to  the  appearance 
of  the  property. 

This  wall,  built  at  reasonable  cost,  will  last  in¬ 
definitely.  It  will  require  no  yearly  outlay  for  re¬ 
pairs,  it  will  not  crack,  rot,  or  deteriorate,  but  will 
strengthen  with  age. 

Method 

Forms  for  the  walls  and  posts  must  be  very  care¬ 
fully  set  for  line  and  plumb — any  deviation  will  be 
noticeable  in  the  finished  work.  At  intervals  along 
the  wall  drain  tile  should  be  provided  to  carry  off 
ground  water  which  will  settle  behind  the  wall  and 
perhaps  do  some  damage  if  not  removed.  It  is  a  good 


14 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


plan  to  run  a  line  of  5-inch  tile  along  the  inside  wall 
leading  into  these  offtakes,  thereby  insuring,  at  little 
cost,  against  injury  to  the  wall,  forms  should  be  of 
tongued  and  grooved  spruce,  if  possible,  to  prevent 
leakage  and  the  resulting  rock  pockets  in  the  con- 
crete. 

In  a  wall  of  the  height  shown  in  this  illustration 
steel  reinforcement  will  not  be  needed.  Higher  walls, 
however,  should  be  designed  by  a  competent  engineer 
who  will  place  the  steel  rods  to  assist  the  concrete  to 
carry  the  immense  load  bearing  upon  it. 

Concrete  for  the  wall  proper  should  be  mixed  in 
proportions  of  1 :  2^:  4,  being  1  part  portland  cement, 
2}/2  parts  of  sand,  and  4  parts  of  stone  or  gravel, 
graded  in  size  from  inch  to  lHj  inches.  It  should 
be  placed  in  layers  of  about  six  inches  and  well  spaded 
to  insure  consolidation  of  aggregates. 


Details  of  wall 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


15 


When  the  wall  has  been  poured  to  the  proper 
height,  inch  x  18  inch  steel  dowels  should  be 
placed,  upon  which  the  precast  cap  will  later  be  set. 
A  long  dowel  must  be  set  in  the  corner  post  in  order 
to  anchor  the  precast  urn  in  place. 

Forms  should  not  be  removed  for  at  least  three 
days.  If  a  decorative  coat  is  not  to  be  applied,  the 
wall  should  be  rubbed  with  an  abrasive  stone  to 
remove  the  form  marks. 

In  the  sketch  on  the  opposite  page  a  form  is  shown 
for  making  the  precast  cap;  however,  better  results 
will  probably  be  obtained  if  the  work  is  given  to  the 
local  concrete  products  manufacturer,  who  is  expert 
in  the  making  of  such  things.  This  cap  should  be 
made  of  concrete  mixed  in  proportions  of  1:2:3, 
which  is  1  part  portland  cement,  2  parts  of  sand, 
and  3  parts  of  gravel  or  stone,  and  reinforced  with 
three  steel  rods  inch  in  diameter,  spaced  evenly 
across  the  base  of  the  cap,  one  inch  up  from  the  base, 
and  running  lengthwise.  The  use  of  precast  caps 
serves  to  bridge  over  inequalities  in  the  wall  and 
enables  it  to  successfully  resist  normal  strains. 

When  placing  the  cap  on  the  wall  it  should  be  set 
over  dowels  previously  anchored  into  the  wall  con¬ 
crete,  and  bonded  to  the  wall  by  a  layer  of  1:3 
Portland  cement  mortar,  which  is  1  part  portland 
cement  to  3  parts  of  sand. 

The  precast  concrete  urn  or  flower-pot  may  be  pur¬ 
chased  from  most  concrete  products  manufacturers 
ready  to  set  in  place.  Because  of  their  attractive 
appearance  and  permanence,  these  concrete  orna¬ 
ments  are  deservedly  popular. 


16 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Materials  Required  for  Retaining  W all  Shown  in  Photo 
on  Page  13  and  Plan  on  Page  14 


Wall— 50-foot  length 
Mixture ,  1:23^:  4 
Concrete,  167  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 33  sacks 

Sand,  3 4  inch  and  under .  34  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  1  finches.  .  5  cu.  yds. 


Precast  Cap— Each  6-foot  section 
Mixture ,  1:2:3 
Concrete,  2  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . ?  sack 

Sand,  34  inch  and  un(ier . Ttr  cu-  y°- 

Stone,  34  inch  to  34  inch . to  cu-  )ci- 


A  paneled  parapet 

A  very  attractive  parapet  can  be  made  by  using 
a  single  course  of  red  concrete  brick  as  a  panel. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


17 


Low  Lawn  Parapet 

^1  AHE  use  of  a  concrete  parapet  wall  adds  greatly  to 
the  appearance  of  a  lawn  and  eliminates  the 
necessity  of  a  terrace,  which  is  so  difficult  to  care  for 
and  which  is  constantly  walked  on  by  passing  pedes¬ 
trians.  A  low  wall,  even  though  it  is  a  simple  matter 
to  step  over  it,  serves  as  a  real  barrier  and  assists 
greatly  in  keeping  the  lawn  from  being  trampled 
upon. 

Method 

Forms  should  be  very  carefully  aligned  and  braced, 
as  any  weaving  or  deviation  will  be  noticeable  in  the 
finished  work.  End  posts  should  be  poured  mono¬ 
lithic  with  the  parapet. 

The  concrete  should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
1:234:  4,  being  1  part  portland  cement,  234  parts  of 
sand,  and  4  parts  of  stone  or  gravel  graded  in  size 
from  34  inch  to  134  inches.  The  forms  should  be 


18 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


filled  in  layers  of  about  six  inches  each,  and  when  the 
top  of  the  straight  wall  is  reached,  a  batch  of  very 
stiff  or  dry  concrete  is  used  to  shape  the  peak, 
as  shown  in  the  picture  on  the  preceding  page,  a 
string  stretched  the  length  of  the  form  will  serve  as  a 
guide  while  this  finishing  is  being  done. 

Upon  removal  of  forms  the  surface  can  be  rubbed 
with  an  abrasive  stone  to  remove  the  rough  edges  at 
the  top.  Troweling  is  not  recommended,  as  it  will 
invariably  bring  too  much  cement  to  the  surface  and 
upon  hardening  a  thin  skin  coat  will  form  and  later 
craze  or  crack. 


Materials  Required  for  Lawn  Parapet  Illustrated  on  Page 
17 — Plan  Below 


Mixture  1  :  2)4  :  4 

50  Feet 
of  Wall 

One  Corner 
Post 

92 

1 

1834  sacks 

34  sack 

Sand,  inch  and  under . 

134  cu.  yds. 
2 '34  cu.  yds. 

5*0  cu.  yd. 
xV  cu.  yd. 

Small  retaining  wall 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


19 


Garage  Entrance 

A  CONCRETE  garage  entrance  will  resist  the 
action  of  the  elements  and  improve  with  age. 
Once  built,  it  stands  ready  for  constant  service  with 
no  further  expense  for  upkeep  or  maintenance. 

Method 

The  forms  being  set,  concrete  mixed  in  propor¬ 
tions  of  1 :  23dd  4,  being  1  part  of  portland  cement,  23^ 
parts  of  sand,  and  4  parts  of  stone  or  gravel,  graded 


20 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


in  size  from  34  inch  to  134  inches,  is  placed.  In 
depositing  concrete  on  grades,  such  as  shown  in  the 
picture,  it  is  best  to  start  from  the  lower  end ;  by  so 
doing  there  is  not  the  possibility  of  hollow  spots  de¬ 
veloping,  as  would  be  thecasestartingat  the  up-hill  end . 

A  straight  screed  or  straight-edge  is  used  on  the 
top  of  the  side  forms,  to  bring  the  concrete  to  the 
proper  level,  and  later  it  is  finished  with  a  wood  float 
only.  Expansion  joints  of  asphaltic  material  should 
be  used  every  30  feet,  and  in  any  case  against  the 
curb  or  sidewalk  and  at  the  door-sill  of  the  garage. 

The  strength,  life,  and  appearance  of  the  driveway 
depend  in  a  great  measure  on  the  curing  or  hardening 
of  the  concrete.  After  the  surface  has  been  finished 
and  has  been  laid  for  about  four  hours,  it  should  be 
covered  with  earth  about  2  or  3  inches  deep,  care 
being  taken  to  use  no  large  stones.  This  covering 
should  be  kept  wet  for  ten  days,  after  which  it  may 
be  removed  and  the  driveway  is  then  ready  for  use. 

Materials  Required  for  30- Foot  Driveway,  6  Inches  Thick 

120  cu.  ft.  of  concrete 

Mixture,  1 :  234: 4 

Lehigh  Cement . 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under.  .  . 

Stone,  34  inch  to  134  inches 


.  24  sacks 
.234  cu.  yds. 
.3%  cu.  yds. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


21 


Garage  Entrance 

THIS  type  of  entrance  is  meeting  with  great  favor 
throughout  the  country.  It  has  many  advantages, 
inasmuch  as  it  provides  the  safety  and  permanence 
of  the  full-width  driveway  with  approximately  half 
the  volume  concrete  and  permits  the  use  of  an 
attractive  strip  of  lawn  between  the  two  concrete 
runways.  The  greatest  point  in  its  favor,  however,  is 
the  fact  that  oil,  dropping  from  the  crankcase,  will 
not  strike  the  concrete  and  cause  the  unsightly  black 
smudge  so  frequently  seen  on  full-width  drives  and 
entrances. 


22 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Method 

Forms  should  be  carefully  aligned  before  placing 
the  concrete,  as  any  deviation  will  be  very  noticeable 
in  the  finished  work.  The  cinder  subgrade  if  used 
should  be  thoroughly  tamped  in  place. 

Concrete  should  be  mixed  in  the  proportion  of 
l;234: 4,  using  stone  up  to  134  inches  in  size.  Con¬ 
struction  joints  should  be  installed  at  regular  inter¬ 
vals  not  to  exceed  eight  feet  in  each  runway,  and  ex¬ 
pansion  joints  should  be  placed  Y$  inch  or  34  mch 
in  thickness,  not  over  twenty-five  feet  apart.  This  is 
usually  done  by  setting  a  board  the  required  thick¬ 
ness  at  the  construction  joint  with  the  division  plate, 
which  is  removed  as  soon  as  the  concrete  is  set  enough 
to  permit.  The  joint  is  then  sealed  with  hot  bitumen. 
The  concrete  should  be  finished  rough  with  a  wood 
float  only,  and  should  be  properly  cured  by  being 
kept  wet  for  at  least  a  week  before  being  used. 

Materials  Required  for  20  Feet  of  Double  Track  Runway 


Mixture,  T.  234;4 

Lehigla  Cement . 6  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under . 34  cu.  yd. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  finches . j  cu.  yd. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


23 


Garage  Driveway 

THE  owner  selected  concrete  to  insure  entrance  at 
all  times  of  the  year.  This  pavement  has  been 
giving  service  for  many  years  and  has  not  required  a 
penny’s  worth  of  labor  for  maintenance. 


Method 

Build  the  curbing  first  (see  page  36),  and  when  the 
forms  are  removed,  draw  a  line  indicating  the  top  of 
the  driveway  on  each  curb.  This  line  will  serve  as  a 
guide  in  keeping  the  concrete  to  grade.  Because  of 
the  varying  height  from  driveway  to  top  of  curb  it  is 
impracticable  to  attempt  the  use  of  a  screed,  but  a 
straight-edge  just  short  enough  to  set  between  the 
curbs  will  greatly  assist  the  finishing  of  the  surface. 


24 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK. 


Expansion  joints  of  tar  or  asphaltic  material,  /4 
inch  wide,  should  be  installed  every  thirty  feet  trans¬ 
versely,  and  it  is  well  to  provide  the  same  joint  on  at 
least  one  side  of  the  drive  against  the  curbing. 

The  concrete  should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
1 ;  2 3^2 4 ,  being  1  part  of  portland  cement,  2 34  parts 
of  sand,  and  4  parts  of  stone  or  gravel  graded  in  size 
from  34  inch  to  134  inches. 

To  insure  the  proper  curing  of  the  concrete,  and 
to  obtain  the  greatest  strength,  the  pavement  should 
be  kept  wet  for  at  least  a  week  and  should  not  be 
used  during  that  time. 


Materials  Required  for  100  Feet  of  Driveway 
With  Curbing 


Mixture,  1:234;4 
Driveway,  100  feet  long 

Lehigh  Cement . 70  sacks 

Sand,  under  34  inch .  6f  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  134  inches.  .  1034  cu.  yds. 
Curbing,  100  feet  long,  varying  height 

Lehigh  Cement . 54  sacks 

Sand,  under  34  inch .  534  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  J4  inch  to  134  inches.  .  834  cu.  yds. 


Cross-section  of  driveway 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


25 


Two-Car  Garage  Driveway 

A  DRIVEWAY  wide  enough  for  a  single  car, 
■L  widened  at  the  garage  to  permit  entering  either 
door,  conserves  space  and  is  economical  to  build. 
Such  a  driveway  provides  the  utmost  in  service  and 
satisfaction  and  requires  no  attention  in  later  years. 

Method 

In  setting  the  forms  around  the  reverse  curve 
make  shallow  saw-cuts  about  a  foot  apart  in  the  back 
of  the  one  inch  side  form  lumber.  This  will  make  it 
much  easier  to  bend  the  form  to  the  exact  measure¬ 
ments  required.  Set  a  straight  form  on  the  center 
line  of  the  wide  section,  and  use  this  and  the  outside 
form  as  a  level  to  which  the  concrete  is  screeded  with 
a  straight-edge.  An  attempt  to  surface  the  entire 
width  at  one  time  would  be  apt  to  develop  hollows  in 
the  pavement  which  would  be  very  noticeable,  espe¬ 
cially  after  a  rain. 


26 


CONTRACTORS  H  ANDY  BOOK 


The  concrete  should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
! -214:4,  being  1  part  of  portland  cement,  2  34  parts 
of  sand,’ and  4  parts  of  stone  or  gravel,  graded  from 

34  inch  to  134  inches  in  size. 

Before  pouring  the  second  half  of  the  wide  section 
the  form  must  be  removed  and  a  ^-inch  asphaltic 
expansion  joint  be  substituted;  also  an  expansion 
joint  should  be  used  at  the  beginning  of  the  approach, 
and  at  thirty-foot  intervals  over  the  entire  length. 

If  the  concrete  is  still  somewhat  soft  or  green  in  the 
first  half  when  the  second  half  is  laid,  it  is  well  to  lay 
a  plank  on  it  and  correct  the  straight  edge  accord¬ 
ingly  when  finishing  the  surface  of  the  second  half. 


Plan  and  cross-section  of  two-car  garage  driveway 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


27 


The  finish  is  made  with  a  wood  float  only.  The  sur¬ 
face  should  be  kept  wet  for  ten  days  or  two  weeks,, 
after  which  the  pavement  is  ready  for  use. 

Materials  Required  for  Garage  Driveway  Illustrated 
on  Page  25 — Plan  on  Page  26 


Entrance 

Mixture ,  1:234:4 
Concrete  5  cu.  yds. 

Lehigh  Cement . 27  sacks 

Sand,  under  34  inch .  2f  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  134  inches.  .  4  cu.  yds. 
Approach,  30  feet  long 
Mixture ,  1:234:4 
Concrete  3%  cu.  yds. 

Lehigh  Cement . 20  sacks 

Sand,  under  34  inch .  2  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  134  inches.  .  3  cu.  yds. 


A  concrete  driveway  on  a  steep  grade  will  not  wash  out,  and  provides 
entrance  in  all  weather 


28 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Garage  with  Concrete  Floor 

BUILT  of  concrete  or  concrete  masonry  units,  a 
garage  will  meet  the  requirements  of  the  most 
strict  and  exacting  building  codes.  Garages  must  be 
fire-proof,  and  concrete  has  proved  itself  an  ideal  fire- 
resisting  material. 

Method  of  Constructing  Foundation  and  Floor 

The  foundation  and  footings  should  extend  below 
the  normal  frost  line,  and  should  be  built  of  con¬ 
crete  mixed  in  proportions  of  1 :  2  3^ :  4,  being  1  part 
of  portland  cement,  2}  2  parts  of  sand,  and  4  parts  of 
stone  or  gravel,  graded  in  size  from  x/i  inch  to  1  Yi 
inches.  Spread  footings  should  be  used,  except  in 
soil  that  is  very  firm. 

After  the  inside  foundation  forms  have  been  re¬ 
moved,  the  earth  subgrade  should  be  well  tamped, 
and  if  it  is  earth  that  will  not  permit  proper  drainage 
of  water,  it  is  well  to  use  a  layer  of  cinders  or  gravel 
directly  beneath  the  concrete  floor. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


29 


!Z-0 


4?r>  a  0  0  .  ,  a  ^  0/  ~-o  *  0 t 

°  £.  *  *  a(  ?or:  <  °  '  fo  0 :  °.  0 

,r.rK& Cinder  ”r 

°tP  V  t / / /  .  t>£,  id  *  rS*1?  .  .  L  *  *  *  k° 

7W/ 


_J  Be/ow  frost  line 


The  floor  concrete  should  be  mixed  in  proportions 
of  1:2: 33^2,  using  stone  not  larger  than  one  inch.  All 
materials  should  be  thoroughly  mixed,  using  as  little 
water  as  possible.  The  surface  should  be  finished 
with  a  wood  float  and  should  be  sloped  to  a  drain. 

If  it  is  proposed  to  erect  a  frame  structure  upon 
the  concrete  foundation,  bolts  should  be  set  in  the 
wall  with  which  to  anchor  the  timber  plate  in  place. 


Materials  Required  for  Foundations  and  Floor 
Foundations,  3  feet  deep,  without  footings 


Mixture,  1:234^4 
Concrete,  1 3334  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 27  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under . 234  cu.  yds. 


Stone,  34  inch  to  134  inches.  .  .4  cu.  yds. 
Floor,  20  feet  x  12  feet  x  5  inches 


Mixture,  1:2:334 

Concrete,  100  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 24  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under . 134  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  1  inch . 3  cu.  yds. 


Method  of  Constructing  Superstructure 

When  the  foundation  is  completed,  work  on  the 
superstructure  may  proceed  at  once.  In  fact,  this 
is  to  be  preferred,  as  it  will  serve  to  protect  the 
floor  concrete  from  the  heat  of  the  sun  while  it  is 
curing,  and  keep  off  rain,  which  will  mark  up  the 
surface  of  fresh  concrete. 


30 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Cement  asbestos 


Section  elevation 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


31 


One-car  garage  with  concrete  driveway 

Rough-faced  concrete  blocks  8x8x16  are  used 
in  this  plan,  and  are  laid  in  portland  cement  mortar 
mixed  in  proportions  of  1:3,  being  1  part  portland 
cement  and  3  parts  sand. 

The  roof  structure  is  of  frame  construction.  The 
bed  plate  is  anchored  to  the  concrete  blocks  by 
bolts  set  in  concrete  poured  into  the  cores  of  the 
top  course  of  blocks. 

Portland  cement  stucco  mixed  in  proportions  of 
1:3,  and  colored  to  harmonize  with  its  surround¬ 
ings,  will  make  the  garage  a  source  of  pride. 

Materials  for  Garage  Superstructure 


8x8x16  concrete  block . 516 

8x8x8  concrete  block . 42 

Sand,  inch  and  under . 2%  cu.  yds. 

Lehigh  Cement . 24  sacks 


Millwork,  roofing  material,  etc.,  as  selected. 


32 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Private  Drive 

THE  value  of  concrete  as  a  road  material  need  not 
be  discussed  at  length  here.  Every  one  likes  to 
drive  on  concrete  because  of  its  smooth  riding  quali¬ 
ties,  its  non-skid  surface,  and  its  pleasing  appearance. 
Private  concrete  roads  are  quickly  and  economically 
built  with  local  labor  and  materials,  are  kept  in  a 
sanitary  and  serviceable  condition  with  a  minimum 
of  expense,  and  will  last  indefinitely. 

Method 

The  road  shown  in  the  accompanying  sketch  was 
designed  and  built  for  light  traffic,  and  the  combined 
curb  and  gutter,  described  on  pages  39  and  40,  was 
used.  The  use  of  the  combined  type  of  curb  and  gutter 
shortens  the  span  of  the  road  slab,  which  is  an  advan¬ 
tage.  It  permits  the  construction  of  the  curb  first. 
The  gutter  is  later  used  as  a  side  form,  and  the  screed 
to  strike  off  the  surface  of  the  road  is  operated  from  it. 

The  separate  curb  may  either  be  built  first  and  an 
offset  screed  used  for  the  pavement,  or  it  may  be 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


33 


Rad-6C° 


y haltic  paint 


Symmetrica!  about  <£. 


O  °  <1  0  Q  ^  .  O  °  -c'  0  *  O  53  0 


-18- 


-8-0"- 


Driveway  with  combined  curb  and  gutter 


built  after  the  pavement  has  been  laid.  The  former 
method  is  usually  adopted. 

The  concrete  should  be  machine  mixed  in  the  pro¬ 
portions  of  1:2:4,  being  1  part  of  portland  cement, 
2  parts  of  sand,  and  4  parts  of  stone  or  gravel, 
graded  in  size  from  34  inch  to  2  inches.  Do  not  use 
more  water  than  is  needed  to  give  a  workable  mix. 

Three-eighths-inch  expansion  joints  of  asphalt  or 
tar  should  be  provided  on  each  side  of  the  road  slab, 
regardless  of  the  type  of  curb.  Transverse  expansion 
joints  should  be  installed  every  fifty  feet  and  at  the 
end  of  the  day’s  work.  Care  must  be  taken  to  set 
the  joints  at  right  angles  to  the  road  surface. 


34 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


These  joints  are  usually  made  with  the  aid  of  a 

inch  or  34  inch  thick  piece  of  steel  shaped  to  con¬ 
form  to  the  cross-section  of  the  road.  This  is  plumbed 
and  held  in  place  by  pins  or  stakes  driven  securely 
into  the  subgrade.  On  the  side  opposite  to  the  pins 
the  joint  filler  is  placed.  Concrete  is  deposited  on 
both  sides  of  the  plate,  which  is  then  removed 
together  with  the  pins,  leaving  the  filler  in  place. 

The  pavement  shown  is  not  reinforced.  However, 
on  work  of  this  nature  marginal  reinforcing,  consist¬ 
ing  of  single  j^-inch  steel  rods,  may  well  be  used 
placed  2  inches  down  from  the  top  of  the  slab,  and 
located  4  inches  in  from  the  edges,  both  lengthwise 
and  crosswise  of  each  slab.  Bars  can  be  wired  to¬ 
gether  in  mats  of  the  specified  size  and  set  in  place 
as  the  concrete  is  poured.  Such  reinforcement  will 
effectually  prevent  cracking  of  the  pavement  at  the 
edges,  and  especially  at  the  corners. 

Combined  curbs  are  usually  doweled  to  the  road 
slab  with  two-foot  iron  pins  spaced  four  feet  apart. 
This  is  done  to  prevent  the  widening  of  the  joint 
and  to  prevent  seepage. 

The  surface  should  be  finished  with  a  wood  float 
only,  and  should  be  cured  by  the  use  of  two  or  three 
inches  of  earth  kept  wet  for  at  least  eighteen  days. 
At  the  end  of  the  curing  period  the  layer  of  earth  is 
removed  and  the  pavement  is  then  ready  for  use. 

Materials  Required  for  50  Feet  of  15-Foot  Roadway 

Mixture ,  1:2:4 

Concrete,  1334  cu.  yds. 

Lehigh  Cement . 82  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under.  . .  .  6 34  cu.  yds. 
Stone,  34  inch  t°  2  inches. .  .  .  1234  cu.  yds. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


35 


Materials  Required  for  1 00  Feet  of  Separate  Curbing 


Mixture,  1:2:4 
Concrete,  2 34  cu.  yds. 

Lehigh  Cement . 16  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  134  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  34  dich  to  2  inches. .  .  .  234  cu.  yds. 


Materials  Required  for  1 00  Feet  of 
Combined  Curb  and  Gutter 


Mixture,  1:2:4 
Concrete,  3  cu.  yds. 

Lehigh  Cement . 18  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  134  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  1  inch .  3  cu.  yds. 


The  picture  below  shows  a  somewhat  different 
arrangement  and  illustrates  effectively  the  possi¬ 
bilities  of  concrete  in  the  adornment  of  suburban 
property.  Such  a  treatment  provides  an  attractive, 
sanitary,  permanent  drive  in  all  weather. 


A  combination  garage  entrance  and  turnstile 


36 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Sidewalk,  Curb,  and  Gutter 

THIS  work  can  be  profitably  done  at  one  time, 
and  when  finished,  it  is  but  another  step  to  the 
paving  of  the  street  itself,  and  the  abutting  property 
owners  have  no  further  trouble  from  dust  or  mud. 

Concrete  curbing  is  used  extensively  in  practically 
all  cities  and  towns  throughout  the  country.  It  has 
been  found  most  satisfactory  and  far  more  economical 
than  any  other  material. 

The  concrete  gutter  is  but  a  part  of  the  concrete 
street  which  every  one  desires  and  enjoys.  The  con¬ 
crete  sidewalk  has  long  been  accepted  as  the  best 
type  possible,  due  to  its  ability  to  resist  wear  and  its 
slip-proof  qualities. 

Method 

The  forms  for  the  sidewalk  and  curb  are  set  to¬ 
gether  and  the  placing  of  the  concrete  in  both  is  done 


ON  .EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


37 


at  the  same  time.  The  curb  approaches  and  the 
gutter  cannot  be  poured  until  the  forms  have  been 
removed  from  the  concrete  in  the  sidewalk  and  curb. 

Construction  joints  should  be  provided  in  the  side¬ 
walk  every  five  feet,  making  five-foot  squares;  in 
the  gutter  they  should  be  spaced  not  more  than  ten 
feet  apart.  One-quarter  inch  expansion  joints  should 
occur  in  the  sidewalk  every  twenty-five  feet;  in  the 
gutter  every  twenty  feet,  and  in  the  curb  every  fifty 
feet.  Expansion  joints  should  be  placed  at  one  end 
of  the  curb  approach  slab  and  should  separate  the 
curb  from  the  gutter.  This  will  prevent  the  curb 
from  tipping. 


Plan  and  cross-section  of  sidewalk,  curb,  and  gutter 


38 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


The  concrete  should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
l;2i^:4,  being  1  part  portland  cement,  lYi  parts  of 
sand,  and  4  parts  of  stone  or  gravel,  graded  in  size 
from  3^  inch  to  1  inch.  The  surface  of  the  walk, 
curb  approach,  and  gutter  should  be  finished  with  a 
wood  float  only.  An  edging  tool  should  be  used  to 
round  the  curb  edges.  The  curb  can  be  rubbed  with 
an  abrasive  stone  to  remove  form  marks  and  improve 
its  appearance.  Proper  curing  of  the  sidewalk,  curb 
approach  and  curb  will  require  at  least  a  week,  and 
for  the  gutter,  two  weeks. 


Materials  Required  for  Sidewalk,  Curb,  and  Gutter 
Illustrated  on  Page  36 — Plan  on  Page  37 


Mixture, 

1 :  2M :  4 

Length 

Width 

Thick¬ 

ness 

Cu. 

Ft. 

Con¬ 

crete 

Sacks, 

Lehigh 

Ce¬ 

ment 

Cu. 

Yds. 

Sand 

Under 

M  in- 

Cu. 
Yds. 
Stone 
A  in. 
to  1  in. 

Sidewalk . 

20'  0" 

5'  0" 

0'  5" 

42 

9 

4 

1M 

Curb  Approach 
Curb . 

2'  6" 
50'  0" 

6'  0" 
0'  6" 

0'  5" 
2'  6" 

62 1  •> 

12 

Vs 

H 

1 

3 

lr% 

Gutter . 

20'  0" 

2'  6" 

0'  6" 

25 

5 

2^ 

% 

ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


39 


Combined  Curb  and  Gutter 

r  I  'HIS  type  of  construction  is  meeting  with  great 
favor,  particularly  in  residential  districts,  where 
its  neat  and  pleasing  appearance  blends  harmoniously 
with  its  surroundings.  The  fact  that  the  face  of  the 
curb  slopes  back  proves  most  satisfactory  in  that  it 
does  not  injure  tires  of  cars  parked  close  to  the  curb. 


Method 

Forms  are  usually  used  to  shape  curbs;  however, 
it  has  often  proved  advisable  to  use  a  very  stiff  or 
dry  mixture  and  shape  the  curb  to  contour  by  the 
use  of  special  wood  or  steel  forms  of  screeds  and 
trowels. 

Forms  are  simple  to  build  and  set.  An  opening  is 
left  in  the  top  through  which  the  concrete  may  be 
deposited  and  spaded.  The  forms  should  be  removed 


40 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


as  soon  as  the  concrete  is  hard  enough,  and  the  sur¬ 
face  should  be  entirely  gone  over,  all  holes  filled  and 
troweled  to  give  the  curb  a  uniform  appearance. 

The  concrete  should  be  1:2:3,  being  1  part  of 
Portland  cement,  2  parts  of  sand,  and  3  parts  of  gravel 
or  stone  graded  in  size  from  34  inch  to  1  inch. 

Expansion  joints  should  be  installed  in  curbing 
at  the  location  of  joints  in  the  pavement,  thus  pre¬ 
senting  a  uniform  appearance. 

Curbs  should  be  cured  for  at  least  ten  days  by 
being  kept  wet,  in  order  that  the  concrete  may  attain 
its  full  strength,  and  thus  withstand  the  repeated 
severe  shocks  to  which  it  will  be  constantly  subjected. 


Materials  Required  for  50  Feet  of  Combined  Curb  and  Gutter 


Mixture,  1:2:3 
Concrete,  100  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 25  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under . 234  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  1  inch . 3  cu.  yds. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


41 


Hitching  Post 

This  type  of 

post  is  usually 
precast  and  later 
set  in  place  and  se¬ 
curely  anchored  by 
pouring  concrete 
around  it. 

Forms  should  be 
built  of  white  pine, 
leaving  one  side 
open  to  place  the 
reinforcing  and 
concrete. 

The  reinforcing 
rods  are  set  in 
place  as  the  pour¬ 
ing  of  the  concrete 
progresses. 

A  round  piece  of  soft  pine  should  be  nailed  to  the 
bottom  form  and  braced  at  the  top  to  make  the  hole. 
The  wood  should  be  bored  or  driven  out  after  the 
concrete  has  become  thoroughly  cured. 

The  concrete  should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
1:2: 3, being  1  partof  portland cement,  2  parts  of  sand, 
and  3  parts  of  stone  or  gravel  graded  in  size  from 
34  inch  to  1  inch.  After  the  forms  are  off  the  concrete 
should  be  rubbed  to  remove  all  traces  of  form  marks. 
The  post  should  not  be  set  up  for  at  least  two  weeks 
after  the  forms  have  been  removed.  To  attain  its 
greatest  strength,  the  post  should  be  covered  with 
straw  and  kept  wet  during  that  period. 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


42 


Septic  Tank 


HE  sanitary  requirements  of  the  modern  home 


A  are  very  ably  met  by  the  concrete  septic  tank. 
Many  cities  and  towns  are  still  without  sewerage 
facilities,  and  the  septic  tank  has  been  approved 
as  the  most  sanitary  and  satisfactory  method  of 
sewage  disposal.  In  farming  districts  the  septic  tank 
is  universally  accepted,  it  having  proved  itself  effi¬ 
cient  in  its  work,  easily  and  quickly  constructed,  and 
low  in  first  cost  and  maintenance. 


Method 


A  septic  tank  is  a  watertight  compartment  through 
which  a  slow  current  of  sewage  passes.  \\  hile  passing 
through  it  is  worked  on  by  bacteria  and  most  of  the 
solids  are  turned  into  liquids  and  gas. 

The  accompanying  plans  and  sketches  are  self- 
explanatory.  They  indicate  method  for  determining 
the  location  of  the  intake  and  outlet,  and  the  placing 
of  the  baffleboards  in  slots  cut  into  the  concrete  walls. 

Exterior  forms  are  not  necessary  in  firm  soils.  The 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


4S 


Fig.  1. — Section  of  tank  in  operation 


walls  should  be  at  least  six  inches  thick,  of  1:2:4 
concrete,  being  1  part  of  portland  cement,  2  parts  of 
sand,  and  4  parts  of  gravel  or  stone,  graded  in  size 
from  }/±  inch  to  lj/2  inches.  “Plums”  or  large  stones 
should  not  be  used,  as  they  are  apt  to  cause  leakage 
in  the  walls. 

The  cover  is  divided  into  three  sections — one  form 
can  be  made  to  serve  by  using  it  three  times.  Each 
cover  slab  should  be  reinforced  with  galvanized  ex¬ 
panded  metal  lath  placed  %  inch  from  the  bottom  of 
the  concrete.  Reinforcing  is  not  necessary  in  the 
walls. 

The  entire  tank  should  be  poured  in  one  operation, 
the  inside  form  being  suspended  as  shown  in  Fig.  5. 

The  forms  should  not  be  removed  until  the  con¬ 
crete  has  thoroughly  hardened.  This  will  probably 


44 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


ij 

4 

fenf-, 

TT 

i 

1  • 

V . 

j-  - ' 

«•}. 

i  A 

1  ■ 

•• 

1 

•1  • . 

i .'  A 

5.  v‘ 
-  <■ 

■*—  W/dfft  of  took  — > 

A-  • 

• :  4  • 

4 

.4  •. ; 

•4-  ' 

•  vv '< 

CROSS  SECTION 


The  plans  illustrated  in 
this  Septic  Tank  section 
are  used  through  the 
courtesy  of  Pennsylvania 
State  College 


//vs/or  dimensions 

or  SEPr/C  TANK 

No.  of 
persons 

Dimensions  of  tank 

width 

length 

6  or  /ess 

ir 

S 

8 

3' 

6' 

/ 0 

3' 

7' 

12 

3' 

S' 

' 

t  -  .  .  • . 

■■■■■■■■■  ■:■■■■* 

So/tcf  | 

-Tf 

Perrtecf 

T- 

“ 6 *- 

b 

b 

*5% 

*T  .  :  &  Fp: 

-•  ■ 

ZD 


PLAN  OF  TANK 


Fig.  2. — Detailed 
drawings 
of  tank 


take  about  a  week.  Fig.  6  illustrates  the  method  of 
laying  the  tile  for  the  distributing  system.  Farm 
drain  tile,  3  or  4  inches  in  diameter,  should  be  placed 
within  12  to  18  inches  of  the  surface.  The  joints 
should  be  spaced  slightly  (}/g  inch),  with  pieces  of 
tar  paper  over  them  to  keep  the  soil  from  working 
into  the  tile.  In  soil  containing  much  sand  or  gravel 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


45 


,li'Moretten 
inlet  grade 


Fig.  3. — Showing  method  of  locating  inlet  and  outlet  grades  with  a 
level  held  against  the  bottom  of  the  cross-pieces.  Stick  to  measure 
depth  of  excavation  is  also  shown.  The  5-inch  addition  at  the  bottom 
can  be  removed  and  the  stick  used  as  a  guide  in  laying  the  concrete 

floor 


Fig.  4. — Form  for  building  tank 


46 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


i 

", 

i x 


Y~ 


^(f/w^-\  hi  wa 

i 


Posts  to  support  form 


1  n  /( 


Horizontal 

cross  brace 


L 


V 


—  Diagonal 
cross  brace 


oW> 

» I 


I 

it 

I 

Q  ^ 


tyw/$wm<w 

Fig.  5. 


Sr  nee  for  concrete 


-Form  in  place 


10  to  20  feet  of  tile  will  be  required,  while  in  a  loam, 
30  to  50  feet  per  person  is  necessary. 


Materials  Required  for  Septic  Tank 

Tank.  Mixture,  1:2:4 

Inside  dimensions,  234  feet  x  5  feet  x  4 34  feet 
Concrete,  4834  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 10J4  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  f  cu.  yd. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  134  inches.  If  cu.  yds. 
Cover.  Mixture,  1:2:3 
Concrete,  5J4  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 134  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under . to  cu.  yd. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  |34  inch . 4  cu.  yd. 

Mesh  Reinforcing,  3  pcs. — 3'-3"  x  5'-6." 


Fig.  6.— Disposal  tile  laid  in  trench  with  tar  paper  over  joints,  sur- 
rounded  with  gravel  and  the  top  soil  placed  directly  above  the  tile 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


47 


Watering  Troughs 

CONCRETE,  because  of  its  permanence,  is  ideal 
for  the  construction  of  water  troughs.  Other 
materials  may  rot,  rust  and  deteriorate,  but  concrete 
subjected  to  constant  moisture  continues  to  strengthen 
indefinitely.  A  watering  trough  of  concrete  is  clean 
and  sanitary,  the  concrete  does  not  in  any  way  affect 
the  water  or  its  taste,  and  it  will  last  indefinitely 
without  further  expenditures  for  upkeep. 

Method 

Construct  forms  of  tongued  and  grooved  spruce 
lumber  if  possible,  set  them  carefully,  and  hang  the 
inside  from  cross-pieces  attached  to  the  outside  form. 
By  placing  one  board  about  four  inches  wide  on  the 
inside  form  at  the  top  floor  line,  the  entire  trough, 


48 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


footings  and  all,  can  be  poured  in  one  operation, 
making  the  structure  monolithic  throughout,  and 
eliminating  the  possibility  of  leaky  seams.  This 
board  is  necessary  to  prevent  the  fresh  concrete  in 
the  wall  from  bubbling  under  the  form  into  the 
trough  interior. 

The  concrete  should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
1:2:3,  being  1  part  of  portland  cement,  2  parts  of 
sand,  and  3  parts  of  stone  and  gravel,  graded  in  size 
from  } i  inch  to  1  inch.  It  should  be  mixed  as  dry  as 
possible  and  poured  in  layers  of  about  six  inches. 
Machine  mixing  is  preferred,  as  the  concrete  can  then 
be  thoroughly  mixed  to  the  proper  consistency  with 
a  minimum  of  water  content. 

The  concrete  should  be  thoroughly  spaded  to  con¬ 
solidate  the  aggregate  and  insure  a  close  bond  with 
the  reinforcing  steel,  which  is  installed  prior  to  the 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


49 


pouring  of  the  concrete.  These  bars  should  be 
securely  wired  at  each  intersection. 

The  use  of  cross  wires  from  the  inside  to  the  out¬ 
side  form  is  not  recommended,  because  they  cannot 
be  removed  and  they  eventually  will  rust  out  and 
cause  leakage.  Spreaders  may  be  used  between  the 
inner  and  outer  forms  to  prevent  shifting,  but  they 
must  be  removed  as  the  concrete  rises. 

The  floor  of  the  trough  should  be  finished  with  a 
steel  trowel  immediately.  The  forms  should  be  re¬ 
moved  from  the  inside  as  soon  as  the  concrete  is 
hard  enough,  and  any  air  holes  or  rock  pockets 
immediately  filled  and  troweled  smooth.  A  thin 
plaster  coat  of  1:2  mortar  will  make  a  good  bond 
with  the  wall  concrete,  and  present  an  impervious 
surface,  through  which  water  cannot  pass.  This 
should  be  finished  smooth  with  a  steel  trowel. 

Materials  Required  for  Trough  Shown  on  Page  48 
Trough,  2'  6"  wide  x  8'  long  x  1'  9"  deep  inside 


Mixture ,  1:2:3 
Concrete,  3034  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 8  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under . 34  cu.  yd. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  1  inch . J4  cu-  yd- 


;34  inch  rods — 8  feet  6  inches  long  10  pieces 
%  inch  rods — 6  feet  2  inches  long  8  pieces 

In  building  a  large  watering  trough  the  same 
methods  and  mixtures  should  be  used  as  those 
described  for  the  construction  of  the  smaller  trough. 

The  list  of  reinforcing  material  is  shown  on  the 
plan.  The  twenty  horizontal  wall  rods  should  be 
bent  to  carry  around  the  corners,  lapping  a  foot  at 
the  center  of  the  ends  and  sides.  The  bars  should 


50 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


JJ. 


— 1 

n 

Bill  of  Reinforcing 

24-Vertical  Wall  Bars  -  f  *2-6'  -  IS"  c.  To  c 

c 

20-  Horizontal  '  -  §  *10-6"-  6~  c  to  c 

• 

« 

7-  Transverse  Floor  Bars  -  id"  c  to  c. 

5  -  Longitudinal  "  ”  '•  +  HZ-6  -  IS'  c  to  c. 

6 

3 

— 

\ 

3 

\ 

0  '<T> 

n 


be  securely  wired  together  at  the  lap.  The  vertical 
wall  rods  are  set  into  the  footing  concrete  at  least 
six  inches.  If  the  footings  are  poured  before  the 
wall  forms  are  set,  these  rods  should  be  placed  and 
they  then  make  easy  the  setting  of  the  balance  of 
the  reinforcing,  which  may  be  wired  to  them. 

Materials  Required  for  Trough  Shown  Above 


Mixture,  1:2:3 
Concrete,  139.5  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement .  .  .35  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under . 2T\  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  3 4  inch  to  1  inch .  4  cu.  yds. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


51 


Barn  Approach 

A  SUBSTANTIAL  approach  is  a  worthwhile  im¬ 
provement  to  a  barn,  because  it  keeps  the  soil 
in  place  during  heavy  rains,  and  the  concrete  walls 
always  present  a  neat  and  attractive  appearance. 

Method 

Forms  should  be  constructed  of  one-inch  boards 
and  two  by  four  studs  spaced  not  over  18  inches 
apart,  and  set  on  spread  footings  previously  poured 
of  concrete  mixed  in  proportions  of  1:2^:  5.  The 
wall  concrete  should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
1 : 2 3^2 : 4,  and  the  suspended  slab  should  be  of  1:2:3 
concrete,  with  %  inch  bars  spaced  10  inches  center 
to  center,  and  \]/2  inches  from  the  bottom  of  the 
slab.  This  is  for  an  eight-foot  span  only — larger 
spans  should  be  computed  by  an  engineer. 


52 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Side  elevation  of  barn  approach 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


53 


When  the  wall  concrete  is  poured,  the  1  Yi  inch 
galvanized  iron  pipe  are  set  in  place  four  feet  apart. 
After  the  concrete  has  been  cured,  these  posts  may 
be  connected  with  pipe  to  make  a  strong  railing  the 
length  of  the  approach. 

A  four-inch  curb  is  provided  on  the  slab.  This 
should  be  constructed  the  full  width  of  the  wall  of 
the  approach,  to  present  a  uniform  appearance. 

In  the  end  wall  of  the  approach  one  or  two  open¬ 
ings  should  be  left,  four  or  five  inches  square,  to 
permit  drainage  of  the  earth  fill. 

After  the  forms  are  removed  ample  time  should 
be  allowed  for  the  concrete  to  cure  and  harden 
before  building  up  the  earth  fill  roadway. 

Materials  Required  for  Barn  Approach — Plan  on  Page  52 


Footing 

Mixture,  5 

Concrete,  2  cu.  yds. 

Lehigh  Cement . 12  sacks 

Sand,  K  'nch  and  under .  Yr,  cu.  yd. 

Stone,  Y  inch  to  1  yi  inches .  IY  cu.  yds. 

Approach  Walls 
Mixture,  \:2Y'-  4 
Concrete,  150  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 31  sacks 

Sand,  Y  inch  and  under .  3  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  Y,  inch  to  1  yi  inches .  4^3  cu.  yds. 

Slab,  8  feet  x  16  feet  x  6  inches 
Mixture,  1:2:3 
Concrete,  64  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 24  sacks 

Sand,  Y,  inch  and  under . IY  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  Y  inch  to  1  inch . \yi  cu.  yds. 

Reinforcement  (24  pieces) .  pi  in.  x  8  ft.  6  in. 

Pipe  railing 


Uprights— 12  pieces,  \Y"  x  4'  6"— Threaded  one  end 
Railing— 2  pieces,  \Y"  x  20' — Threaded  both  ends 
Connections  4  L  ells  1 Y  inches  x  1Y  inches 

8  T  couplings,  1 Y  inches  x  2  Y  inches  x 
2  Y  inches — for  sleeve  joint 


54 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


18  Meta!  ventilator 


4 


'//8Jj(s///-//^'/t7?77F7;j 


•  .  Fresh  air  intake 

'  =»  /  with  hinged  door 

°  '  o  ver  opening 


-18*18'  Ventilator  f/ue 
wtt?  hinged  door 


!0‘' 


-'f 

'rk 


Cross-section  of  small  storage  cellar 


Storage  Cellars 

CONCRETE  storage  cellars  have  proved  their 
worth  in  all  sections  of  the  country.  The  plans 
on  pages  56  to  59  give  details  of  a  storage  cellar  built 
at  Pennsylvania  State  College. 

It  has  been  found  that  dirt  floors  are  most  satis¬ 
factory,  and  so  in  this  work  wall  and  column  footings 
only  were  used,  they  being  one  foot  deep  and  of 
concrete,  mixed  in  proportions  of  1:2^:4.  Walls 
and  columns  are  of  1:2:4. 

For  this  work  a  double  wall  was  constructed  with 
a  movable  form.  Concrete  building  units,  block  or 
tile,  prove  satisfactory  for  this  sort  of  work.  The 
monolithic  concrete  wall  is  also  used  extensively. 

The  roof  is  of  concrete  mixed  1:2:3,  and  heavily 
reinforced  with  steel  bars,  a  complete  schedule  of 
which  is  given. 

A  section  of  a  small  storage  cellar  is  also  shown. 
This  is  built  of  monolithic  concrete  throughout,  the 
footings  and  walls  being  of  concrete  mixed  in  pro¬ 
portions  of  1 : 23^: 4  and  the  roof  mixed  1:2:3. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


55 


A  table  giving  the  necessary  reinforcing  for  roof 
spans  is  given,  as  follows: 


Reinforcement  Required  Across  the  Roof  of  a  Storage  Cellar 


Width  of  Span 

Thickness  of 
Concrete 

Size  of  Bars 
Needed 

Spacing,  from 
Center  to  Center 

8  feet 

5  inches 

K  inch 

inches 

9  “ 

S'A  “ 

H  “ 

9 

10  “ 

6 

X  “ 

8 

11  “ 

6  K  “ 

X  “ 

7  K  “ 

12  “ 

7  K  " 

X  “ 

6 

13  “ 

8  “ 

X  “ 

8  K  “ 

14  “ 

9 

X  “ 

7  K  “ 

15  “ 

9K  “ 

A  “ 

7 

16  “ 

10  “ 

X  “ 

9 

The  roof  should  be  finished  with  a  slight  crown  to 
drain  water,  and  should  be  troweled  smooth  with  a 
steel  float.  The  inside  walls  and  roof  may  be  given 
a  coat  of  portland  cement  mortar  if  desired. 

The  deck  or  roof  forms  should  be  left  in  place  for 
at  least  three  weeks,  and  the  concrete  should  be 
kept  wet  during  that  time  in  order  that  it  may  gain 
its  maximum  strength. 


Double  storage  cellar  at  Pennsylvania  State  College.  Left  side  shows 
walls  erected.  Right  side  shows  forms  in  place  for  roof 


56 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Plan  and  section  for  storage  cellar,  built  at  Pennsylvania  State  College 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


57 


58  CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


l$_oor  >!Xao  ^ciNroeciNG 


■3“%^  10'  O'  Vcrlleal  tech  p 


'Z^f 


'  Irorlzonf’fil  9  CC. 


<  ™  Weill  T i«s 

Waul  Section 


Roof  slab  reinforcing  for  storage  cellar,  built  at  Pennsylvania  State 

College 


70- 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


59 


-- 

i=|ii  si<ife  L- 


:?i*  ips 


a 


%  q  .6  t  .04  -  v  s 

Q  l>-ol|«  CP  |i  »q  H'|  ^  Q|  \%  P|  .0  ,Z  »  1  , 


Bill  of  steel  required  for  storage  cellar,  built  at  Pennsylvania  State  College 


60 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Poultry  House  Floor 

A  GOOD  poultry  house  should  provide  perfect 
protection  from  storms,  sufficient  sunshine  dur¬ 
ing  the  winter  months,  plenty  of  ventilation  without 
drafts,  and  uniformity  of  temperature. 

A  concrete  foundation  and  floor  will  provide  the 
most  sanitary  and  permanent  base  at  the  lowest  cost 
consistent  with  good  construction. 

Floors  of  concrete  do  not  rot  or  disintegrate.  They 
are  rigid  and  safe  to  walk  upon,  are  quickly  and  easily 
built  with  local  materials,  and  may  be  kept  clean  and 
neat  with  a  minimum  of  effort. 

A  newly  laid  poultry  house  floor  should  be  allowed 
sufficient  time  to  dry  thoroughly  before  being  used, 
as  fresh  concrete  contains  considerable  moisture.  If 
time  is  a  factor,  it  is  best  to  install  the  floor  first  and 
build  the  superstructure  afterward. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


61 


Method 

The  footings  and  wallsof  a  poul¬ 
try  house  should  be  built  first,  and 
after  removing  the  forms,  the 
backfill  of  earth  should  be  soaked 
with  water  and  well  tamped  in 
place  to  insure  against  settling 
under  the  floor  after  it  is  laid. 

Drainage  must  be  provided  for 
by  using  drain  tile  to  carry  off 
ground  water,  especially  on  the 
uphill  side  of  the  structure.  It  is 
always  a  good  plan  to  lay  a  sub¬ 
floor  of  cinders  or  gravel  in  clay 
soils. 

The  concrete  for  the  walls 
should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
1:2:4,  being  1  part  of  portland 
cement,  2  parts  of  sand,  and  4 
parts  of  stone  or  gravel  graded  in 
size  from  inch  to  \}/2  inches. 
Large  stones  that  can  be  carried 
in  one  hand  may  be  used  sparingly 
in  these  walls,  care  being  taken 
to  keep  them  from  touching  one 
another  or  laying  against  the 
forms. 

The  concrete  for  the  floor 
should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
1:2: 33^  and  should  be  at  least 
four  inches  thick.  If  possible,  the 
concrete  should  be  machine  mixed 
and  the  water  content  kept  low. 


62 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


It  should  be  finished  with  a  wooden  float  only, 
and  allowed  to  cure  at  least  a  week  before  being  used. 
It  should  be  kept  wet  during  the  curing  period,  in 
order  that  it  may  attain  its  full  strength. 

Materials  Required  for  a  20-Foot  by  40-Foot  Poultry  House 
Floor — Plan  on  Page  61 
Walls,  19  feet  x  39  feet  inside  x  3  feet  high 


Mixture ,  1:2:4 
Concrete,  177  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 33  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  234  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  hr  inch  to  134  inches.  .  .  5  cu.  yds. 

Stones,  4  inches  and  under.  .  .  2  cu.  yds. 

Floor,  19  feet  x  39  feet  x  4  inches  thick 

Mixture,  1:2:334 
Concrete,  247  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 46  sacks 

Sand,  34  'nch  and  under .  4f  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  1  inch .  7f  cu.  yds. 


Poultry  house  with  a  concrete  floor  and  a  rear  wall  as  high  as  the 
dropping  boards.  The  two-story  building  at  the  far  end  is  a  feed 

house 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


6S 


Hog  Runs 

THERE  is  no  material  superior  to  concrete  in 
improving  the  appearance  of  farm  buildings. 
This  picture  shows  what  one  man  has  done  with  his 
hog  runs.  Concrete  for  this  work  has  eliminated  the 
necessity  of  constant  replacements,  and  has  changed 
an  unattractive  and  unsanitary  yard  to  a  neat,  clean 
run  which  will  last  indefinitely  with  no  further 
expense. 

Method 

The  walls  are  built  six  inches  thick,  the  base  being 
set  below  the  frost  line  without  spread  footings.  The 

~-/i  Go/v.  Iron  P/pe 

,T 

H 

Be/ow  frost  line 


Not  Over 
— 3-0"  — 


-J 


Elevation  of  hog  run  wall 


<64 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


forms  should  be  built  in  sections,  eight  or  ten  feet 
long,  if  there  is  any  considerable  amount  of  wall  to 
build.  Studs  spaced  18  inches  apart  should  provide 
a  rigid  wall  form  that  can  be  set  and  reset  accurately 
until  the  job  is  completed. 

The  concrete  should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
1:23^:  4,  being  1  part  of  portland  cement,  2  34  parts 
of  sand,  and  4  parts  of  stone  or  gravel,  graded  in 
size  from  34  inch  to  134  inches. 

The  concrete  should  be  machine  mixed  if  possible, 
to  insure  uniformity  of  mixture.  The  water  content 
should  be  kept  as  low  as  possible  consistent  with 
workability.  It  should  be  placed  in  the  form  in  layers 
and  thoroughly  spaded. 

The  iron  pipe  for  the  fencing  should  be  buried  in 
the  soft  concrete  at  stated  intervals  as  soon  as 
possible  after  the  concrete  is  placed,  to  insure  a 
satisfactory  bond.  A  tee  or  union  at  the  bottom  of  the 
pipe  further  insures  its  stability.  Care  must  be  used 
to  set  the  fence  pipe  plumb  and  all  the  same  height. 

After  the  forms  are  removed  the  surface  of  the 
wall  may  be  rubbed  with  an  abrasive  stone  to  remove 
form  marks.  Fencing  should  not  be  set  up  until 
the  concrete  is  at  least  two  weeks  old,  as  the  strain 
on  the  posts  may  otherwise  fracture  the  concrete. 

Materials  Required  for  Hog  Run  IV all— Plan  on  Page  63 

Hog  Run  Wall — 50-foot  section,  6  inches  thick, 


4  feet  6  inches  deep 
Mixture,  1:234;4 
Concrete,  11234  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 23  bags 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  2 34  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  3 4  inch  to  134  inches. .  .  334  cu.  yds. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


65 


Hog  Houses 

CONCRETE  is  generally  used  in  building  the 
modern  sanitary  hog  house,  plans  for  which 
are  very  nearly  standard  throughout  the  country. 

Method 

The  sketch  and  picture  indicate  the  layout  most 
commonly  used  in  building  a  hog  house. 

The  foundations  and  superstructure  are  similar 
to  those  in  any  other  farm  building.  The  floor  is 
laid  over  a  well-tamped  earth  subgrade,  and  at  each 
stall  there  is  a  small  footing  built  properly  to  support 
the  heavy  pipe  posts  and  wire  panel. 

The  floors,  panel  footings,  and  feed  troughs  are 
all  made  of  concrete  mixed  in  proportions  of  1 :  23^:4, 
being  1  part  of  portland  cement,  2}/2  parts  of  sand, 


66 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


„9-.£Z 


"’«S 


‘<3 


V?  WAU^W  I  N  DOW  *  'NMOS  DOOR 

_ 4-9'- P" - 

Floor  plan  of  typical  modern  hog  house 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


67 


and  4  parts  of  stone  or  gravel,  graded  in  size  from 
34  inch  to  1  inch.  It  should  be  machine  mixed  if 
possible,  to  insure  uniformity.  The  water'  content 
should  be  kept  low.  Floors  should  be  finished  with 
a  wood  float  only. 

Set  the  forms  and  pour  the  panel  footings  and  bases 
first,  into  which  the  panel  posts  are  set  while  the 
concrete  is  being  placed.  After  the  forms  are  re¬ 
moved  the  pen  floors  are  poured  together  with  the 
feeding  troughs. 

Materials  Required  for  Hog  House  Floor — Plan  Above 
One  panel  footing  and  base,  5  inches  x  9  inches  x 


8  feet 

Mixture ,  1:2J^:4 
Concrete,  234  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement.  .  . .  34  sack 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  4o  cu.  yd. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  1  inch .  y£  cu.  yd. 

One  floor,  4  inches  x  8  feet  x  8  feet 
Mixture,  1 :  234  : 4 
Concrete,  2134  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement.  .  . .  4  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  f-  cu.  yd. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  1  inch .  34  cu.  yd. 


68 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Hog  Wallows 

A  CONCRETE  hog  wallow  will  assist  in  keeping 
pigs  clean  and  free  from  mange  and  insect 
pests.  Unless  a  wallow  is  provided,  the  hogs  will 
quickly  make  a  disease-breeding  mud  hole  on  the 
hog  lot. 

Method 

As  indicated  in  the  plan,  this  wallow  is  built  with 
shallow  footings  on  a  well-tamped  earth  foundation. 
While  it  is  not  absolutely  essential  that  a  hog  wallow 
be  watertight,  it  is  easily  accomplished  by  suspend¬ 
ing  the  inside  forms  from  cross-braces  supported  by 
the  outside  forms.  The  footings,  floor,  and  walls 
may  then  be  poured  monolithic  and  consequently 
watertight. 

The  sketch  indicates  the  top  of  the  wall  level  and 
provides  for  a  pitch  in  the  floor  to  a  drain  through 
which  the  water  may  be  drawn  off  into  a  short  line 
of  drain  tile. 

The  concrete  should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
1:2:33/2,  being  1  part  of  portland  cement,  2  parts  of 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


69 


sand,  and  334  parts  of  stone  or  gravel  graded  in  size 
from  3 4  inch  to  132  inches.  It  should  be  mixed  with 
the  least  amount  of  water  to  give  it  workability. 
The  floor  should  be  finished  with  a  wood  float  to 
provide  firm  and  non-skid  footing  for  the  stock. 
The  walls  may  be  plastered  with  a  thin  coat  of  1:2 
mortar  to  further  insure  waterproofness,  if  desired. 

Materials  Required  for  Hog  IV allow  Shown  Above 


Mixture,  1:2:3  3^2 
Concrete,  93  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 22  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  1%  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  134  inches.  .  .  2J4  cu.  yds. 


Another  hog  wallow  that  can  be  very  easily  and 
quickly  constructed  is  illustrated  on  the  next  page. 
In  construction  of  forms,  proportion  of  mix,  and 
method  of  finishing  it  is  identical  with  the  one  just 
described.  The  ramp  is  a  decided  advantage,  how¬ 
ever,  providing  easy  entrance,  and  the  forms  are  a  bit 
easier  to  construct.  In  this  wallow  no  provision  is 
made  for  drainage.  The  pit  is  filled  by  means  of  a 
hose,  and  the  water  is  bailed  out  when  it  becomes 
necessary  to  clean  it.  Drainage  can,  however,  be 
easily  provided  if  desired. 


70 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Materials  Required  for  Hog  Wallow — Plan  Below 
Footing,  2  feet  deep 
Mixture,  1:2: 33^2 
Concrete,  128J4  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 30  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  234  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  134  inches.  .  .  4  cu.  yds. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


71 


Manure  Pits 

THE  old  type  of  combined  barnyard  and  manure 
pit  is  rapidly  passing  because  it  is  wasteful  and 
unsanitary.  The  value  of  manure  stored  in  a  tight 
concrete  pit  as  compared  with  barnyard  storage  is 
so  great  that  the  pit  will  quickly  repay  its  con¬ 
struction  cost. 

Method 

Pour  the  footings  first,  and  upon  them  erect 
the  wall  forms  of  inch  boards  on  two  by  four  studs 
spaced  not  over  18  inches  apart.  The  footings  and 
walls  should  be  keyed  together  to  make  a  tight  joint 
and  insure  a  good  bond.  After  the  inside  wall 
forms  have  been  removed,  the  subgrade  should  be 
prepared  if  the  soil  is  very  porous  and  ground  water 
is  present;  a  line  of  drain  tile  around  the  walls  will 
lead  the  water  away  from  the  pit.  The  floor  should 


72 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Side  elevation  for  manure  pit 


y'i  Expansion  Joint 


' *?  Footinq  •'  4  », 


\o  •>  Floor 

1  c 

2  Layers  Tarred  Felt 
Provide  Keyvray 


Detail  of  wall  and  floor  connection 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


73 


rest  on  the  top  of  the  footings  and  a  slip  joint  pro¬ 
vided  as  shown  on  sketch  for  expansion  and  contrac¬ 
tion.  The  floor  may  be  finished  with  a  steel  float  to 
present  a  smooth,  non-porous  surface. 

The  driveway  should  be  built  with  an  apron  or 
light  foundation  wall  to  strengthen  it  against  impact 
of  wagon-wheels,  and  keep  it  from  sinking  in  soft 
ground. 

Metal  sockets  or  bolts  are  embedded  in  the  top 
of  the  wall  to  permit  construction  of  a  roof. 

All  concrete  should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
1:234:  4,  being  1  part  of  portland  cement,  234  parts 
of  sand,  and  4  parts  of  gravel,  graded  in  size  from 
34  inch  to  134  inches.  It  should  be  machine  mixed 
if  possible  and  the  water  content  should  be  kept  low. 

Materials  Required  for  Manure  Pit  Illustrated  on  Page 
71 — Plan  on  Page  72 


Mixture,  1:234:4 
Concrete,  356  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement .  .  .  .71  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  6%  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  134  inches.  .  .  10f  cu.  yds. 
Lumber  and  Roofing  extra 


The  plan  on  the  next  page  shows  a  much  smaller 
manure  pit.  It  is  built  in  the  same  manner  as  the 
larger  one,  however,  and  the  same  aggregates  and 
mixture  are  used. 

Materials  Required  for  Manure  Pit  Illustrated  on  Page  74 


Mixture,  1:234;4 
Concrete,  19434  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 39  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  3%  cu.  yds. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  134  inches.  .  .  5T9o  cu.  yds. 


74 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Small  manure  pit 


Plan  and  cross-section 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


75 


Concrete  Piers 

TO  ELIMINATE  rotting  of  sills  and  under¬ 
pinning  of  buildings  build  them  of  concrete. 
Sturdy  and  strong,  they  will  bear  their  load  indefi¬ 
nitely  and  strengthen  with  age. 

Method 

The  plans  shown  here  provide  for  the  setting  of  a 
steel  or  timber  superstructure. 

The  forms  are  set  and  the  piers  poured  in  place. 
In  the  first  plan  provision  is  made  for  steel  anchor 
bolts;  in  the  second,  T-shaped  pier,  dowels  are  used' 
to  fasten  the  rough  timber  to  the  pier  head. 

The  manner  of  setting  forms  for  the  pier  founda¬ 
tions  or  footings  and  the  piers  themselves  are  identi¬ 
cal,  as  they  are  both  battered  on  all  sides.  The  most 
common  practice  is  to  build  two  opposite  sides  true 
to  line  and  set  them  in  place,  then  the  two  remaining 
sides  are  simply  boarded  up  and  studs  set  in  place 
at  the  corners.  The  entire  form  must  be  rigidly 
braced  from  without  and  the  forms  tightly  wired 


76 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Square-head  pier 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


77 


together  either  by  using  ties  running  diagonally  from 
corner  to  corner  through  the  pier,  or  by  providing 
collars  at  stated  intervals  up  the  form  on  the  outside. 
These  may  be  made  of  several  strands  of  wire  or 
lumber  which  is  tightly  wedged  in  place.  Form 
lumber  should  be  of  tongued  and  grooved  material. 

The  concrete  in  the  footings  should  be  mixed  in 
proportions  of  1:2:4,  being  1  part  of  portland  cement, 
2  parts  of  sand,  and  4  parts  of  broken  stone  or  gravel, 
ranging  in  size  from  34  inch  to  2  inches.  The  pier 
or  post  concrete  should  be  mixed  in  proportions  of 
1:2:33/2,  being  1  part  of  portland  cement,  2  parts  of 
sand,  and  334  parts  of  broken  stone  or  gravel, 
graded  in  size  from  34  inch  to  134  inches. 

The  placing  of  the  concrete  should  be  done  slowly, 
as  large  batches  deposited  suddenly  will  often  spring 
the  forms  and  cause  them  to  leak. 

The  pier  footings  should  be  allowed  to  set  thor¬ 
oughly  before  the  forms  are  set  for  the  posts.  When 


78 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


79 


the  footings  are  poured,  set  two-foot  dowels,  as  in¬ 
dicated  in  the  plan.  To  these  the  post  reinforc¬ 
ing  must  be  securely  wired  before  the  concrete  is 
poured.  Iron  piping  is  not  good  reinforcing  mate¬ 
rial,  nor  is  wire  fencing.  Use  only  approved  soft 
steel  rods,  and  take  pains  to  keep  them  free  from  rust, 
oil  and  dirt,  to  insure  a  satisfactory  bond  with  the 
concrete. 

In  setting  anchor  bolts  a  template  should  be  made 
from  which  they  may  be  hung.  This  template  must 
be  securely  fastened  to  the  wall  form  at  the  exact 
location  required,  in  reference  to  those  on  other  piers 
and  height  above  the  footing,  to  insure  a  fit  with 
the  holes  provided  in  the  steel  or  timber  super¬ 
structure. 

To  allow  a  little  leeway  in  making  the  fit,  it  is  a 
good  plan  to  provide  anchor  bolts  threaded  to  a 
point  which  will  be  eight  or  ten  inches  below  the 
surface  of  the  concrete.  A  nut  and  washer  are  placed 
at  this  point,  and  a  piece  of  pipe  about  twice  the 
diameter  of  the  anchor  bolt  and  long  enough  to 
reach  to  the  top  of  concrete  is  slipped  over  it.  This 
will  permit  the  bolt  being  pried  a  bit  in  any  direction. 

The  completed  piers  should  be  allowed  to  cure  for 
at  least  three  weeks  before  the  weight  of  the  super¬ 
structure  is  placed  upon  them.  The  forms  should  not 
be  removed  for  a  week,  and  when  they  are,  an  abra¬ 
sive  stone  may  be  used  to  erase  the  form  marks  and 
improve  the  appearance. 

The  design  of  foundations  of  this  nature  is  ex¬ 
tremely  important,  and  consequently  it  is  best  to 
have  the  concrete  work  planned  and  designed  by  a 
competent  engineer  or  architect  who  will  be  able  to 


80 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


compute  the  weight  the  piers  must  support  and  will 
design  them  accordingly. 

Materials  Required  for  Square-Head  Pier— Plan  on  Page  76 


Footing 

Mixture,  1:2:4 
Concrete,  16  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 4  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  34  cu.  yd- 


Stone,  34  inch  to  2  inches.  ...  34  cu.  yd. 

Pier 

Mixture,  1:2:334 

Concrete,  12  cu.  ft. 


Lehigh  Cement . 3  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  4  cu.  yd. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  134  inches.  .  .  34  cu.  yd. 


The  reinforcing  for  this  pier  may  be  ob¬ 
tained  from  the  plans. 


Materials  Required  for  T-Head  Pier — Plan  on  Page  78 
Footing 

Mixture,  1:2:4 
Concrete,  634  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 134  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  tV  cu.  yd. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  2  inches .  |  cu.  yd. 

Pier 

Mixture,  1:2:334 

Concrete,  4^4  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 134  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under .  to  cu.  yd. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  134  inches.  .  .  |  cu.  yd. 

The  reinforcing  for  this  pier  may  be  ob¬ 
tained  from  the  plans. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


81 


Hotbeds  and  Cold-Frames 

A  HOTBED  should  be 
located  so  that  it 
slopes  toward  the  south, 
and  should  be  protected 
from  cold  wind.  The 
standard  hotbed  sash  is  3 
by  6  feet,  and  the  size  of 
the  bed  should  be  gov¬ 
erned  by  the  number  of 
sash  to  be  used. 

The  hotbed  walls 
should  be  6  or  8  inches  thick,  and  carried  down  below 
possible  frost  penetration.  Forms  can  be  easily  set 
up,  as  shown  in  the  illustration,  and  roughly  sup¬ 
ported  by  stakes  and  braces. 

A  four-foot  length  of  ^-inch  rod,  bent  to  reinforce 
the  corner,  will  prevent  cracking. 

A  1:23^: 4  mix  is  recommended. 


Plan  for  concrete  hotbed  and  cold-frame 


82 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Concrete  Fence  Posts 


CONCRETE  fence  posts  are  a  permanent  im¬ 
provement  to  a  property.  They  are  easily  con¬ 
structed,  and  the  work  can  be  done  in  winter  months 
or  when  outdoor  work  is  not  possible. 

The  various  types  of  commercial  post  molds  on 
the  market  are  not  expensive  and  will  be  of  advantage 
if  many  posts  are  needed.  Molds  can  also  be  made 
with  clear,  straight-grained  lumber.  Before  using 
wooden  molds  saturate  them  with  a  mixture  of  boiled 
linseed  oil  and  kerosene  to  prevent  the  concrete  from 
sticking.  Reinforcing  rods  are  placed  in  the  proper 
position  while  filling  the  molds.  Jarring  or  tapping 
the  molds  and  stirring  the  concrete  while  filling  will 
release  air-bubbles  and  work  the  coarser  particles 
away  from  the  surface,  producing  a  smooth  finish. 

Steel  rods,  J4  inch  to  %  inch  round,  must  be  placed 
in  concrete  posts  to  resist  strains.  To  be  most  effec- 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


83 


Six  posts  can  be  cast  in 
this  mold  at  one  time 


Place  reinforcing  rods  at 
points  of  greatest  stress 


tive,  these  rods  must  be  correctly  placed.  In  a  square 
post,  place  the  reinforcing  near  the  surface  at  each 
of  the  four  corners.  Correct  positions  for  reinforcing 
rods  for  the  various  shaped  posts  are  illustrated. 

A  1:2:3  mixture  should  be  used.  Clean  coarse 
sand,  ranging  from  fine  particles  up  to  those  34  inch 
in  size,  should  be  used,  and  the  pebbles  or  broken 
stone  should  be  graded  from  34  inch  to  a  maximum 
size  of  34  inch. 

The  posts,  as  soon  as  removed  from  the  molds, 
should  be  protected  from  excessive  cold,  sun,  and  dry 
winds.  Harden  them  by  covering  with  straw,  and 
keep  wet  for  a  week  or  ten  days.  At  the  end  of  this 
time  move  them  outside  and  stand  on  end.  Thirty 
days  later  they  are  ready  for  use. 

Materials  Required  for  Six  Fence  Posts  8  Feet  Long, 
6  Inches  Square  at  Base,  4  Inches  Square  at  Top 


Mixture ,  1:2:3 
Concrete,  9  cu.  ft. 

Lehigh  Cement . 3  sacks 

Sand,  34  inch  and  under . 34  cu.  yd. 

Stone,  34  inch  to  34  inch . 34  cu.  yd. 


84 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Beveled  2"x4"  set  into  footing,  when  withdrawn,  provides  keyway 


Foundations 

FOUNDATIONS  for  buildings  should  extend  be¬ 
low  the  frost  line  to  eliminate  the  possibility  of 
movement  due  to  frost  action. 

Attention  must  be  given  to  the  nature  of  the  soil 
upon  which  the  building  is  to  be  erected.  To  guard 
against  settlement,  it  is  necessary  to  determine  the 
bearing  capacity  of  the  soil.  Where  soft  spots  occur  » 
they  may  be  bridged  by  the  use  of  reinforcement  near 
the  bottom  of  the  footing  concrete.  The  table  given 
on  the  next  page  will  be  useful  in  figuring  soil-bearing 
capacities. 

Spread  footings  are  advisable  in  practically  all 
cases.  They  add  greatly  to  the  stability  of  the  struc¬ 
ture.  In  basement  construction  they  provide  a  shelf 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


85 


upon  which  to  lay  the  concrete  floor.  In  the  erection 
of  wall  forms  they  provide  a  firm  and  even  base  upon 
which  to  work,  and  by  the  use  of  dowels  or  keyways 
firmlv  anchor  the  base  of  the  wall  in  place,  this  giving 
ample  insurance  against  springing  walls  under  pres¬ 
sure  from  without. 

A  simple  method  of  firmly  anchoring  the  wall  to 
the  footing  is  to  set  one  man  rocks  into  the  footing, 
permitting  them  to  project  above  the  footing  line; 
then,  when  the  walls  are  poured,  the  concrete  will 
envelop  the  upper  half  of  the  rocks  and  make  a 
definite  key  and  bond  with  the  footing. 

Another  method  is  indicated  in  the  sketch.  A  two 
by  four  slightly  beveled  is  set  into  the  footing  con¬ 
crete  and  later  withdrawn,  providing  a  substan¬ 
tial  keyway,  which  is  filled  with  the  pouring  of  the 
wall  concrete,  thus  making  a  tight  joint  and  strong 
bond  between  the  wall  and  footing. 


BEARING  CAPACITY  OF  SOILS 


Soil 

Safe  Bearing  Power  in  Tons 
per  Square  Foot 

Minimum 

Maximum 

Rock,  the  hardest,  in  thick  layers  in 
native  bed . 

200 

30 

Rock  equal  to  best  ashlar  masonry. .  . . 

25 

Rock  equal  to  best  brick  masonry . 

15 

20 

Rock  equal  to  poor  brick  masonry .... 

5 

10 

Clay  in  thick  beds,  always  dry . 

6 

8 

Clay  in  thick  beds,  moderately  dry . 

4 

6 

Clay,  soft . 

1 

2 

Gravel  and  coarse  sand,  well  cemented  . 

8 

10 

Sand,  dry,  compact,  and  well  cemented  . 

4 

6 

Sand,  clean,  dry . 

2 

4 

Quicksand,  alluvial  soils,  etc . 

0.5 

i 

86 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


General  Notes  on  Form 
Construction 

IN  THE  construction  of  forms  for  concrete  the 
primary  considerations  are  watertightness,  rigid¬ 
ity,  strength,  and  salvage  value. 

Experience  has  proven  spruce  to  be  a  most  accept¬ 
able  and  satisfactory  lumber  for  this  sort  of  work. 
White  pine  is  recommended  for  small  forms  for  orna¬ 
mental  concrete  work.  Norway  and  Southern  pine 


87 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


also  may  be  used  with  good  success.  Hemlock,  which 
is  so  readily  available  everywhere,  does  not  prove 
satisfactory,  as  it  splits  very  easily  and  has  a  ten¬ 
dency  to  curl.  On  all  form  work  it  is  advisable  to 
provide  sheathing  surfaced  one  side  and  one  edge 
(S  1  S  1  E),  at  least,  as  it  is  much  easier  and  faster 
to  work  with  and  presents  a  much  smoother  and 
tighter  surface  to  the  concrete.  Shiplap,  or  tongued 
and  grooved  lumber,  is  highly  desirable  to  make  the 
form  watertight  and  to  rigidly  maintain  the  correct 
alignment.  Studs  should  be  set  opposite  to  each 
other  to  facilitate  the  wiring  of  the  form  and  must  be 
spaced  close  enough  to  prevent  any  bulging  or  weav¬ 
ing  in  the  form  line.  It  is  seldom  advisable  to  space 
studding  more  than  18  inches  apart  when  using  1  inch 
sheathing. 

Spreaders  cut  the  exact  width  of  the  wall  are  used 
to  space  the  two  forms,  and  wires  (usually  No.  9)  are 
run  through  the  walls  and  about  the  studs,  these 
are  twisted  until  tight,  which  brings  the  entire  form 
into  position.  It  is  impossible  to  set  any  hard  and 
fast  rule  for  spacing  the  wire  ties,  but  it  is  seldom 
advisable  to  spread  them  further  apart  than  three 
feet. 

Nails  should  be  used  sparingly,  and  should  not  be 
driven  completely,  for  by  leaving  them  out  a  bit  they 
may  be  easily  pulled  when  dismantling  and  salvaging 
the  form  lumber. 

Crude  oil  applied  to  the  face  of  the  forms  greatly 
facilitates  their  removal  and  serves  to  preserve  the 
lumber.  Oil  must  not  be  used,  however,  on  the  forms 
of  walls  which  will  later  be  plastered,  as  it  will  make 
impossible  a  satisfactory  and  permanent  bond. 


88 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


In  all  cases  where  oil  is  not  used  the  forms  should 
be  well  soaked  with  water  just  prior  to  placing  the 
concrete. 

Immediately  after  their  removal  forms  should  be 
scraped  free  of  all  concrete,  for  while  it  is  com¬ 
paratively  green  this  is  not  a  difficult  matter,  and 
by  so  doing  the  lumber  is  made  available  for  other 
work. 

Forms  that  are  built  in  sections  for  standard  work 
should  be  very  strongly  built  of  well-seasoned  lumber, 
preferably  tongued  and  grooved.  The  nails  should  be 
securely  driven  home  and  holes  should  be  bored  big 
enough  to  permit  pulling  the  tie  wires  through  with¬ 
out  mutilating  the  lumber. 

In  butting  sections  together  it  is  well  to  use  bolts 
and  washers.  This  method  insures  correct  alignment 
and  eliminates  unsightly  offsets  in  the  finished  work. 

After  the  work  has  been  completed  the  forms 
should  be  carefully  removed,  thoroughly  cleaned  and 
repaired,  after  which  they  should  be  oiled  and  stored 
under  cover,  if  possible.  The  forms  should  be  service¬ 
able  for  a  great  many  jobs,  if  ordinary  care  is  used  in 
handling  and  storing  them. 

Steel  forms,  which  are  used  a  great  deal  for  concrete 
work,  can  be  purchased  ready  to  use,  equipped  with 
pins  and  braces  for  their  erection.  These  are  very 
durable  and  will  last  indefinitely  if  properly  cared  for. 
They  should  be  cleaned  and  oiled  after  removal  and 
when  being  stored.  They  should  be  sheltered  from 
the  weather  to  prevent  rust. 

The  table  on  next  page  will  be  found  useful  in  com¬ 
puting  the  board  feet  required  in  material  for  forms. 
Lumber  is  usually  priced  per  1,000  F.B.M.  One 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


89 


F.B.M.  is  a  one-inch  board  one  foot  long  and  twelve 
inches  wide,  or  a  two-inch  plank  one  foot  long  and  six 
inches  wide. 


TABLE  OF  BOARD  FEET  FOR  VARIOUS  SIZES  OF 

LUMBER 


Size  of 
Timber 
in  Inches 

Length  of  Piece  in  Feet 

10 

12 

14 

16 

18 

20 

22 

24 

lx  2 

i% 

2 

2% 

2%' 

3 

3% 

3% 

4 

lx  3 

2% 

3 

332 

4 

4% 

5 

5% 

6 

lx  4 

3% 

4 

4% 

5% 

6 

6% 

7% 

8 

lx  5 

4% 

5 

S4 

6% 

7% 

8% 

9% 

10 

lx  6 

5 

6 

7 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

lx  8 

6% 

8 

9% 

10% 

12 

13% 

14% 

16 

1x10 

8% 

10 

U% 

13% 

15 

16% 

18% 

20 

1x12 

10 

12 

14 

16 

18 

20 

22 

24 

1x14 

n% 

14 

16% 

18% 

21 

23% 

25% 

28 

1x16 

13% 

16 

18% 

21% 

24 

26% 

29% 

32 

2x  4 

6% 

8 

9% 

10% 

12 

13% 

14% 

16 

2x  6 

10 

12 

14 

16 

18 

20 

22 

24 

2x  8 

13% 

16 

18% 

21% 

24 

26% 

29% 

32 

2x10 

16% 

20 

23% 

26% 

30 

33% 

36% 

40 

2x12 

20 

24 

28 

32 

36 

40 

44 

48 

2x14 

23% 

28 

32% 

37% 

42 

46% 

51% 

56 

2x16 

26% 

32 

37% 

42% 

48 

53% 

58% 

64 

3x  6 

15 

18 

21 

24 

27 

30 

33 

36 

3x  8 

20 

24 

28 

32 

36 

40 

44 

48 

3x10 

25 

30 

35 

40 

45 

50 

55 

60 

3x12 

30 

36 

42 

48 

54 

60 

66 

72 

3x14 

35 

42 

49 

56 

63 

70 

77 

84 

3x16 

40 

48 

56 

64 

72 

80 

88 

96 

4x  4 

13% 

16 

18% 

21% 

24 

26% 

29% 

32 

4x  6 

20 

24 

28 

32 

36 

40 

44 

48 

4x  8 

26% 

32 

37% 

42% 

48 

53% 

58% 

64 

4x10 

33% 

40 

46% 

53% 

60 

66% 

73% 

80 

4x12 

40 

48 

56 

64 

72 

80 

88 

96 

4x14 

46% 

56 

65% 

74% 

84 

93% 

102% 

112 

6x  6 

30 

36 

42 

48 

54 

60 

66 

72 

6x  8 

40 

48 

56 

64 

72 

80 

88 

96 

6x10 

50 

60 

70 

80 

90 

100 

110 

120 

6x12 

60 

72 

84 

96 

108 

120 

132 

144 

6x14 

70 

84 

98 

112 

126 

140 

154 

168 

6x16 

80 

96 

112 

128 

144 

160 

176 

192 

8x  8 

53% 

64 

74% 

85% 

96 

106% 

117% 

128 

8x10 

66% 

80 

93% 

106% 

120 

133% 

146% 

160 

8x12 

80 

96 

112 

128 

144 

160 

176 

192 

90 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Portland  Cement  Stucco 

THERE  are  three  important  factors  to  be  con¬ 
sidered  in  the  planning  of  stucco  exteriors. 
The  first  is  the  mixing  and  application  of  the  portland 
cement  stucco;  the  second  is  the  obtaining  of  artistic 
textures;  and  the  third,  the  interesting  possibilities 
of  coloring  stucco  to  obtain  the  best  architectural 
effects. 

Materials  used  with  Lehigh  Portland  Cement  for 
making  stucco  should  be  carefully  selected.  Fine  ag¬ 
gregates  should  consist  of  sand  or  screenings  from 
crushed  stone  or  crushed  pebbles,  graded  from  fine 
to  coarse,  to  pass  through  a  No.  8  screen  when  dried. 
They  should  be  clean,  coarse  and  free  from  loam. 
Hydrated  lime  should  be  used.  Water  should  be  clean, 
free  from  oil,  acid,  strong  alkali  or  vegetable  matter. 

Concrete  block  for  stucco  walls  should  be  rough 
and  of  coarse  texture.  The  surface  should  be  brushed 
free  from  all  dirt  and  loose  particles  before  applying 


Materials  Required  for  100  Square  Feet  of  Surface  for 
Various  Thicknesses  of  Stucco 


Thickness 

Proportions 

1:2. 

4 

1:3 

Cement 

(Sacks) 

Sand 
(Cu.  Ft.) 

Cement 

(Sacks) 

Sand 
(Cu.  Ft.) 

H  inch . 

1.3 

3.2 

1.1 

3.3 > 

l/2  inch . 

1.7 

4.2 

1.5 

4.4, 

inch . 

2.5 

6.3 

2.2 

6.6 

1  inch  . 

3.4 

8.4 

3.0 

8.8 

inches . 

4.2 

10.5 

3.7 

11.0 

IK  inches . 

5.1 

12.6 

4.5 

13.2 

These  quantities  may  vary  10  per  cent  in  either  direction  due  to  the  qhar- 
acter  of  the  sand  and  its  moisture  content. 

No  allowance  is  made  for  waste  or  for  keys  behind  the  lath. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


91 


Portland  cement  stucco  on  Portland  cement  stucco  on 

metal  lath  concrete  block 

stucco  and  wetted  to  a  degree  where  water  will  not 
be  easily  absorbed. 

The  stucco  should  be  applied  in  two  or  preferably 
three  coats.  All  coats  should  be  of  the  same  mix, 
and  the  first  coat  should  thoroughly  cover  the  base 
on  which  it  is  applied,  and  be  well  troweled  to  insure 
the  best  bond.  Before  the  coat  has  set,  it  should  be 
heavily  cross-scratched  to  provide  a  strong  mechan¬ 
ical  key.  The  second  coat  should  be  applied  on  the 
day  following  the  application  of  the  first  or  scratch 
coat,  dampening  that  coat,  if  necessary.  It  should 
be  brought  to  a  true  and  even  surface  by  screeding  at 
intervals  not  exceeding  5  feet  and  by  constant  use  of 


92 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Portland  Cement  Stucco  Textures 


1.  FRENCH  TROWEL.—  Fin¬ 

ished  with  a  sweep  stroke 
of  trowel. 


2.  ITALIAN. — Troweled  rough 
cast. 


r  a  •.->  ~ 

.  *  .f?  >.  'V 


i  -v-  :  ' 


'  > ; 


r 


4  -  '  N*  -  'S  S? 

’  ’  **<  •  : 


w* 


3.  ENGLISH  COTTAGE.— 
Feathered  with  the  edge 
of  the  trowel. 


<V.  >'TV-  - 

'4*4.  kt*|  N.  . 

’ter  Sr  <•  A  /-.V  Ut  \<  1  t!  t 

4.  MODERN  AMERICAN.— 
Surface  torn  with  float. 


5.  COLONIAL. — Sanded  sur¬ 

face  finished  with  wood 
or  cork  float. 


6.  CALIFORNIA.— A  carpet 

floated  rough  cast. 


93 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


Portland  Cement  Stucco  Textures 


7.  SPANISH. — Feathered  with 
wood  float. 


8.  GREEK. — A  trowel  dash  or 
float  spotted  finish. 


9.  FRENCH  BRUSH  — Uneven 
sand  surface  effect  ob¬ 
tained  by  hard  rubbing. 


10.  ITALIAN  COTTAGE.— A 
soft  sponge  finish  on  a  soft 
plastic  surface. 


11.  GOTHIC.— A  rough  torn 
float  finish. 


12.  ENGLISH.— Spotted  by  a 
side  stroke  of  trowel. 


94 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


a  straightening  rod.  After  the  second  coat  has  stiff¬ 
ened  sufficiently,  it  should  be  dryfloated  and  lightly 
cross-scratched  to  receive  the  finish  coat.  The  finish 
coat  should  be  applied  not  less  than  a  week  after  the 
application  of  the  second. 


Colored  Stucco 

Lehigh  Cement  (gray)  can  be  combined  with 
mineral  pigments  to  produce  a  wide  variety  of  colored 
stucco  effects.  Only  mineral  pigments  should  be 
used,  as  other  pigments  are  liable  to  fade  as  well  as 
reduce  the  strength  of  the  stucco,  mortar  or  concrete 
in  a  marked  degree.  Variations  in  the  colors  of  the 
materials,  including  the  pigments  themselves,  are 
such  as  to  make  color  formulas  only  approximate. 

Table  of  Colors  to  be  Used  in  Portland  Cement  Stucco 

Amounts  of  pigment  given  in  table  are  approximate  only.  Test  samples 
should  be  made  up  to  determine  exact  quantities  required  for  the  desired 
color  and  shade. 


Color  Desired 

Commercial  Names  of 
Colors  for  Use  in  Cement 

Pounds  of  Color 
Required  for 
Each  Bag  of 
Cement  to 
Secure 

Light 

Shade 

Me¬ 

dium 

Shade 

Grays,  blue-black  and  black 

Germantown  lamp-black*  or 

K 

1 

Carbon  black*  or 

K 

1 

Black  oxide  of  manganese*  or 

1 

2 

Mineral  black* 

l 

2 

Blue  shade 

Ultramarine  blue 

5 

9 

Brownish-red  to  dull  brick  red 

Red  oxide  of  iron 

5 

9 

Bright  red  to  vermilion 

Mineral  turkey  red 

5 

9 

Red  sandstone  to  purplish-red 

Indian  red 

5 

9 

Brown  to  reddish-brown 

Metallic  brown  (oxide) 

5 

9 

Buff,  colonial  tint  and  yellow 

Yellow  ochre  or 

5 

9 

Yellow  oxide 

2 

4 

Green  shade 

Chromium  oxide  or 

Greenish  blue  ultramarine 

5 

6 

9 

*  Only  first  quality  lampblack  should  be  used.  Carbon  black  is  light  and 
requires  very  thorough  mixing.  Black  oxide  or  mineral  black  is  probably 
most  advantageous  for  general  use.  For  black  use  11  pounds  of  oxide  for 
each  bag  of  cement. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  J  OBS 


95 


Making  Good  Concrete 

By  J.  C.  Pearson  * 

AT  THE  Cement  Centennial  somebody  called 
./A.  Portland  Cement  the  Magic  of  Concrete. 
It’s  not  far  from  the  truth  when  you  stop  to  think 
about  it.  Limestone  and  shale  are  ground  together 
to  the  fineness  of  talcum  powder,  run  into  an  enor¬ 
mous  rotating  kiln,  where  the  mixture  is  burned  at 
hell-roaring  white  heat  until  it  forms  a  new  chemical 
substance,  discharged  from  the  kiln  as  a  hard  clinker, 
and  finally  ground  again  to  a  gray  powder— the 
finished  cement.  The  making  of  cement  is  not  a 
simple  nor  a  small  scale  process  at  all  stages  of  its 
manufacture  it  is  under  close  chemical  and  physical 
control  and  a  plant  to  make  it  costs  at  least  a  million 
dollars.  Yet  in  hardly  any  section  of  the  country 
does  the  material  cost  as  much  as  a  cent  a  pound, 
and  it  will  set  into  a  hard,  stone-like  mass  when 
mixed  with  a  little  water  and  six  to  eight  times  its 
own  weight  of  sand  and  gravel.  Because  cement 
will  stand  a  lot  of  abuse,  there  is  a  tendency  for  users 
to  think  of  concrete  merely  as  a  mixture  of  cement, 
aggregates,  and  water,  and  let  it  go  at  that. 

It  is  the  purpose  of  this  little  talk  to  mention  some 
of  the  things  that  are  involved  in  making  good  con¬ 
crete  and  avoiding  poor  concrete.  It  won  t  interest 
the  technical  expert  nor  the  large  contractor  par¬ 
ticularly,  but  it  may  hopefully  be  of  some  use  to 
the  contractor  or  builder  who  doesn’t  have  a  large 


c;„s;  bM'rP^p 

United  States  Bureau  of  Standards  at  Washington. 


96 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


organization  and  who  must  depend  upon  his  own 
knowledge  and  experience  to  plan  and  execute  the 
work  he  undertakes. 

Of  all  the  concrete  troubles  that  can  be  traced  to 
materials,  the  great  majority  are  usually  related  in 
some  way  to  poor  sand.  This  matter  of  sand  is  so 
important  that  it  is  hard  to  understand  the  general 
indifference  among  concrete  men  regarding  this  par¬ 
ticular  material.  Fortunately  for  our  purpose  here, 
it  is  easier  to  specify  what  a  sand  should  not  be  than 
exactly  what  it  should  be,  and  we  believe  that  the 
simple  tests  described  in  this  book,  which  every  con¬ 
tractor  can  use  to  his  great  advantage,  will  serve 
either  as  a  safeguard  against  bad  sand  or  as  a  warning 
against  questionable  sand. 

Sand  may  be  unsuitable  in  three  respects: 

1.  It  may  be  too  fine  or  otherwise  poorly  graded. 

2.  It  may  contain  dangerous  organic  matter. 

3.  It  may  be  too  dirty. 

The  gradation  of  a  sand  is  perhaps  its  most  im¬ 
portant  characteristic  in  relation  to  its  concrete¬ 
making  value.  The  usual  limits  for  fine  and  coarse 
sands  are  described  and  illustrated  on  pages  103  to 
105  of  this  book.  A  simple  recommended  test  which 
any  one  can  make  to  judge  the  gradation  of  a  sand 
is  as  follows:  Sift  a  handful  of  the  dry  sand  on  a 
No.  30  sieve.  If  the  sand  is  a  first-class  concrete 
sand,  this  sieve  will  divide  it  into,  roughly,  equal 
parts,  the  larger  fraction  being  retained  on  the  sieve. 
If  most  of  the  sand  passes  through  the  sieve,  it  is  too 
fine,  and  if  nearly  all  is  retained  on  the  sieve,  it  is 
too  coarse.  A  No.  4  sieve  can  also  be  used  to  ad¬ 
vantage  in  case  the  sand  contains  any  appreciable 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


97 


amount  of  gravel,  or  in  case  pit-run  material  is 
being  tested.  It  is  customary  nowadays  to  designate 
sand  particles  coarser  than  a  No.  4  sieve  as  gravel, 
and  the  No.  30  sieve  should  be  used  on  the  sand 
after  the  gravel  has  been  removed. 

While  the  gradation  of  a  concrete  sand  is  said 
to  be  its  most  important  characteristic,  the  presence 
of  organic  compounds  may  be  a  very  serious  matter 
in  extreme  cases.  This  is  a  contamination  which 
comes  from  the  slow  leaching  of  water  through  de¬ 
composed  overlying  vegetable  matter,  which  results 
in  coating  the  sand  grains  with  an  invisible  trace  of 
a  substance  that  may  interfere  seriously  with  the 
proper  setting  of  the  cement.  A  method  of  detecting 
and  roughly  measuring  the  quantity  of  organic  matter 
in  the  sand  has  been  developed  in  the  so-called 
“colorimetric”  test,  which  is  fully  described  and 
illustrated  on  pages  108  to  109.  This  test,  like  the 
others  here  recommended,  serves  primarily  as  a  warn¬ 
ing  that  the  sand  may  be  unsuitable.  Generally 
speaking,  a  very  light  color  means  a  safe  sand,  and 
a  dark  color  a  dangerous  sand. 

By  dirty  sand  we  mean  a  sand  which  contains 
considerable  quantities  of  clay,  silt,  or  foreign  matter, 
such  as  leaves,  chips,  etc.  If  the  dirt  is  confined  to 
clay  and  silt,  it  may  or  may  not  be  harmful,  depend¬ 
ing  upon  its  quantity,  and  also  upon  whether  it  forms 
a  hard  coating  on  the  sand  grains  or  not.  Accord¬ 
ingly,  a  limit  of  3  per  cent  by  weight  of  the  sand  is 
usually  specified  as  the  permissible  amount  of  ma¬ 
terial  that  may  be  removed  by  washing.  The  field 
test  is  a  simple  volumetric  test  made  as  described 
and  illustrated  on  page  110.  This  test  needs  no  other 


98 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


equipment  than  that  required  for  the  colorimetric 
test  described  in  the  foregoing  paragraph. 

Passing  on  now  to  the  materials  that  are  commonly 
used  as  coarse  aggregates,  it  is  comforting  to  know 
that  where  such  materials  as  gravel,  crushed  stone, 
or  crushed  slag  are  furnished  separately  to  a  job 
(that  is,  not  mixed  with  fine  aggregate),  they  are  in 
most  cases  safe  and  satisfactory,  provided,  of  course, 
they  are  hard,  clean  and  free  from  foreign  materials. 
Cinders,  however,  are  always  a  questionable  aggre¬ 
gate,  and  there  is  no  general  guide  by  which  one  can 
judge  their  quality,  except  possibly  by  previous 
experience  or  by  making  up  test  blocks  in  the  pro¬ 
portions  which  are  to  be  used.  In  general,  the  use 
of  cinders  for  concrete  exposed  to  the  weather  is  not 
recommended.  Good  cinder  concrete  is  not  very 
often  found  out-of-doors,  for  if  it  contains  enough 
cement  to  be  durable,  it  is  not  economical.  Please 
understand  that  these  statements  do  not  necessarily 
apply  to  cinder  concrete  blocks  manufactured  under 
well-controlled  plant  processes  nor  to  special  uses  of 
cinder  concrete  where  quality  is  assured  by  suitable 
tests. 

As  stated  above,  clean  coarse  aggregates  when 
delivered  separately  to  the  job  are  rarely  a  source  of 
trouble  in  concrete  work.  But  some  caution  must 
be  exercised  in  the  use  of  bank-run  gravel  or  crusher- 
run  stone.  In  the  case  of  bank-run  gravel,  dirt  and 
contamination  are  more  likely  to  escape  notice  than 
in  the  separated  sand  and  gravel.  The  proportion  of 
fine  material  to  coarse  is  very  often  too  large,  and 
always  more  or  less  variable,  tending  to  give  weak 
and  non-uniform  concrete  in  lean  mixtures.  In 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


99 


crusher-run  stone  or  in  stone  screenings  the  fines 
usually  contain  an  excess  of  dust,  which  tends  to 
stick  to  the  larger  particles,  and  if  this  coating  of 
dust  is  not  thoroughly  removed  in  the  mixing  process, 
a  weak  bond  between  cement  and  aggregate  results. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  crusher-run  stone  or  stone 
screenings  have  the  dust  removed  by  washing  or 
otherwise,  there  may  be  a  lack  of  sufficient  fine 
material,  so  that  harsh,  watery  mixtures  result  from 
their  use,  giving  pockety,  non-uniform,  and  porous 
concrete. 

This  quality  of  harshness,  so  characteristic  of 
stone  screenings,  makes  it  difficult  to  produce  good 
concrete  without  an  excess  of  cement  over  what 
would  be  required  for  well-graded  sand,  and  there¬ 
fore  an  admixture  of  fine  sand  with  clean  stone 
screenings  makes  a  better  and  safer  aggregate  than 
crusher-run  screenings  alone. 

This  brings  us  to  some  of  the  finer  points  in  the 
art  of  making  good  concrete,  about  which  something 
ought  to  be  said  because  there  is  evidence,  from  the 
appearance  and  condition  of  many  jobs,  that  builders 
are  too  often  inclined  to  decide  upon  a  certain  pro¬ 
portion  of  cement,  sand,  and  stone  as  being  strong 
enough  for  the  job  and  then  go  ahead  without  regard 
to  what  the  mixture  looks  like  or  feels  like  or  behaves 
like  when  the  concreting  is  started.  Here  is  where 
a  good  concrete  man  draws  upon  his  real  knowledge 
of  concrete,  where  he  needs  to  know  something  not 
covered  in  specifications,  and  which  he  can  know 
only  from  his  own  training  and  experience.  A 
good  concrete  mixture,  whether  lean  or  rich,  must 
be  such  that  it  will  go  into  the  forms  and  fill  them 


100 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


without  excessive  labor  in  puddling  or  spading.  We 
put  the  word  fill  in  italics  because  we  mean  that  the 
forms  should  be  filled  with  concrete  and  not  with 
air-holes  and  pockets.  If  the  mixture  is  not  well 
graded  from  cement  to  coarse  aggregate,  it  will  not 
fill  properly,  and  no  amount  of  water  will  correct  this 
fault.  What  a  concrete  mixture  needs  to  fulfil  this 
requirement  is  a  certain  degree  of  plasticity  or  work¬ 
ability,  a  property  which  is  hard  to  define,  but  one 
which  we  can  illustrate  in  the  following  way:  Sup¬ 
pose  we  make  up  a  concrete  mixture  by  starting  with 
a  rich  bricklayer’s  mortar  and  adding  to  it  gradually 
some  coarse  aggregate.  At  the  start  we  have  the 
mortar  alone,  which  is  very  plastic  and  workable; 
it  spreads  easily,  it  can  be  made  to  fill  any  kind  of 
a  mold  with  little  effort,  and  the  water  does  not  tend 
to  separate  from  the  mass.  As  we  add  the  coarse 
aggregate  these  qualities  become  less  marked;  the 
mixture  becomes  harsher,  it  spreads  less  easily,  more 
work  is  required  to  put  it  into  a  mold  without  leaving 
air-pockets,  and  the  water  tends  to  separate  from 
the  other  ingredients.  As  a  rule,  this  addition  of 
coarse  aggregate  cannot  be  carried  beyond  a  pro¬ 
portion  of  two  volumes  of  aggregate  to  one  of  mortar 
without  overloading  the  mixture  and  cutting  its 
plasticity  or  workability  below  what  is  required  for 
good  concrete.  On  this  account  concrete  proportions 
have  almost  always  been  required  to  have  at  least 
half  as  much  fine  aggregate  as  coarse,  e.  g.,  1:2:4, 
1 :  2}4. :  5,  etc. 

This  is  hardly  satisfactory  in  present-day  practice, 
however,  because  such  aggregates  as  crushed  stone 
and  crushed  slag  require  more  mortar  to  “carry” 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


101 


them  than  a  rounded  aggregate,  and  a  poorly  graded 
aggregate  of  any  kind  requires  more  mortar  than  a 
well-graded  one.  Further  than  this,  the  stone¬ 
carrying  capacity  of  a  mortar  depends  not  only  upon 
the  richness  of  the  mortar,  but  also  on  the  gradation 
of  the  sand  in  the  mortar.  Every  one  who  has  mixed 
and  handled  concrete  knows  that  coarse  sand  or 
stone  screenings  make  harsh  working  mixtures. 

We  cannot  specify  a  definite  procedure  that  will 
insure  good  concrete  mixtures  under  all  circumstances. 
This  depends  upon  the  peculiarities  of  the  aggregates 
available.  But  when  a  mixture  will  not  go  into  place 
with  a  reasonable  amount  of  effort  and  fill  properly, 
there  is  something  wrong  with  it,  and  some  adjust¬ 
ment  is  needed.  For  this  purpose  admixtures  of 
hydrated  lime  and  other  fine  powders  are  sometimes 
used,  or  the  desired  improvement  may  be  brought 
about  by  increasing  the  quantity  of  sand.  The 
disadvantage  of  using  admixtures  is  that  additional 
material  has  to  be  delivered  to  the  job,  and  pound 
for  pound  they  cost  more  than  cement.  The  ad¬ 
vantage  of  using  an  admixture,  therefore,  must,  for 
economy,  be  weighed  in  comparison  with  the  advan¬ 
tage  of  using  a  little  more  cement,  with  the  further 
thought  that  an  admixture  of  cement  gives  added 
strength  as  well  as  increased  workability. 

One  of  the  most  serious  aspects  of  this  lack  of 
workability  is  the  very  common  tendency  to  com¬ 
pensate  for  it  by  increasing  the  amount  of  mixing 
water.  One  of  the  most  noticeable  characteristics 
of  harsh  mixtures  is  that  the  water  separates  readily 
from  the  mass,  and  when  this  happens  to  any  mix¬ 
ture,  either  in  wheeling  or  placing  in  the  forms,  it  is 


102 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


a  safe  bet  that  the  mixture  is  too  wet.  The  improve¬ 
ment  in  workability  by  adding  excess  water  is  ap¬ 
parent  only,  for  segregation  of  the  aggregates  is 
thereby  increased,  and  while  the  concrete  may 
appear  to  go  into  the  forms  more  readily,  it  goes  in 
less  uniformly,  and  we  have  in  the  finished  product 
all  the  characteristics  of  poor  concrete. 

We  have  said  nothing  thus  far  about  the  well- 
known  and  well-advertised  effect  of  excess  water 
in  reducing  strength.  Countless  tests  have  shown 
that  the  amount  of  water  in  a  concrete  mixture  over 
and  above  what  is  actually  required  for  proper  hand¬ 
ling  detracts  much  more  from  the  strength  than  leaving 
out  the  same  amount  of  cement.  In  other  words,  the 
very  common  practice  of  overwetting  mixtures  is 
equivalent  to  throwing  away  some  of  the  money  that 
has  been  paid  for  good  cement.  If  a  mixture  lacks 
workability,  it  cannot  be  remedied  by  adding  more 
water — this  only  makes  a  bad  matter  worse. 

It  does  not  seem  necessary  to  say  very  much  about 
the  time  of  mixing  or  the  amount  of  mixing  which 
is  required  in  making  good  concrete.  Since  one  of 
the  first  requirements  of  good  concrete  is  that  it 
shall  be  uniform  and  homogeneous  throughout,  the 
minimum  amount  of  mixing  is  naturally  that  which 
will  evenly  distribute  the  ingredients  throughout  the 
mixture.  By  the  time  this  condition  is  reached  the 
aggregate  will  be  properly  coated  with  cement. 
However,  somewhat  longer  mixing  is  beneficial  be¬ 
cause  plasticity  or  workability  is  thereby  increased. 
This  is  due  to  the  gradual  absorption  of  water  by 
the  cement  particles,  a  chemical  action  which  con¬ 
verts  the  dry  cement  powder  into  glue  and  turns 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


103 


the  mixture  into  artificial  stone  when  the  glue  has 
hardened.  To  make  this  artificial  stone  of  maximum 
strength  and  durability  the  cement  and  sand  must 
be  thoroughly  distributed  and  fill  the  spaces  between 
the  coarse  aggregates,  a  result  which  cannot  be  at¬ 
tained  if  the  mixing  and  placing  operations  are 
slighted. 

A  talk  of  this  sort  would  not  be  complete  without 
some  remarks  on  the  subject  of  curing.  Probably 
one  reason  why  so  little  attention  is  paid  to  adequate 
curing  is  that,  if  concrete  gets  reasonably  hard  in  a 
few  days,  so  that  one  cannot  scratch  it  deeply  with 
a  nail  or  kick  off  a  corner  with  his  foot,  it  seems  to 
be  satisfactory  without  going  to  the  trouble  of  wetting 
it  or  protecting  it  from  sun  and  wind.  This  is  ex¬ 
ceedingly  poor  judgment,  because  the  strength  and 
the  resistance  to  wear  and  all  the  other  desirable 
qualities  of  good  concrete  can  be  increased  from  50 
tc  100  per  cent  by  taking  proper  care  of  a  job  for  a 
few  days  after  it  is  completed.  Again  we  emphasize 
the  fact  that  cement  is  a  hydraulic  material,  and 
that  the  hydration  or  hardening  is  helped  enormously 
by  feeding  water  to  it,  especially  during  the  first  few 
days  and  even  weeks  after  being  made  into  concrete. 
If  concrete  makers  everywhere  could  be  made  to 
realize  that  the  time  to  use  excess  water  is  after  the 
concrete  has  set  and  not  before,  there  would  be  a 
marked  increase  in  the  proportion  of  good  concrete 
to  poor.  The  essence  of  curing  is  to  prevent  fresh 
concrete  from  drying  out,  and  the  longer  this  drying 
out  is  prevented,  the  better.  It  does  not  matter  so 
much  how  the  curing  is  done,  whether  it  be  by  leav¬ 
ing  the  forms  in  place,  by  covering  the  work  with 


104 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


tarpaulins  or  other  protection,  by  continuous  spray¬ 
ing  and  wetting,  or  by  a  combination  of  all  these 
things— the  one  object  is  to  keep  the  concrete  from 
drying  out  for  as  long  a  time  as  conditions  permit. 

In  conclusion,  we  should  like  to  make  one  addi¬ 
tional  suggestion.  Every  contractor  or  builder  is 
concerned  with  progress  and  development  in  con¬ 
crete  construction  and  should  endeavor  to  keep  posted 
on  this  subject.  If  you  aren’t  in  the  habit  of  reading 
books  or  magazines  or  articles  on  concrete,  begin  now 
to  acquire  this  habit.  Write  to  the  Lehigh  Portland 
Cement  Company  for  its  booklets  and  publications  on 
concrete  construction,  or  ask  your  dealer  to  get  them 
for  you.  Subscribe  to  one  or  two  magazines  in  the 
concrete  field  and  read  them. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


105 


Concrete  Aggregate 

THE  term  “aggregate”  is  applied  to  the  materials 
which  are  used  with  portland  cement  to  make 
concrete.  These  materials,  sand  and  gravel,  or  stone, 
comprise  a  very  large  proportion  of  the  volume  of 
concrete.  This  fact  alone  makes  very  evident  the 
necessity  of  a  careful  inspection  and  selection  to 
insure  a  satisfactory  result. 

The  general  requirements  for  aggregates  are  that 
they  be  clean,  rough,  dense,  hard,  durable,  and  in¬ 
soluble.  Sand  or  stone  which  to  the  eye  is  very  clean 
is  often  quite  unfit  for  use  in  concrete  work,  generally 
due  to  an  excess  amount  of  silt  or  rotted  vegetable 
matter.  The  quality  of  sand  can  often  be  determined 
by  conducting  a  few  simple  tests,  which  are  explained 
elsewhere  in  this  book.  The  other  requirements  are 
equally  important,  but  are  not  hard  to  meet  in  any 
locality. 


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Small  washing  plant  for  cleaning  sand 


106 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Aggregate  is  divided  into  two  general  classifica¬ 
tions,  “coarse”  aggregate  being  all  material  retained 
on  a  i^-inch  sieve  and  “fine”  aggregate  that  passing 
through  a  }4,-inch  sieve. 

Coarse  aggregate  is  gravel  or  crushed  stone.  The 
gravel,  pebbles  or  crushed  stone  used  must  be  clean, 
hard,  tough  and  graded  in  size.  The  strength  of  this 
aggregate  will  be  reflected  in  the  concrete. 

Fine  aggregate  is  sand.  The  word  ‘sand  fre¬ 
quently  suggests,  to  the  inexperienced  person,  a  fine, 
uniform  material.  This,  however,  cannot  be  recom¬ 
mended.  To  make  concrete  of  high  strength  requires 
a  well-graded  sand  in  size  from  fine  to  coarse,  as 
illustrated  in  plates  on  pages  111  to  113. 

The  use  of  a  small  washing  plant,  as  illustrated  on 
the  preceding  page,  often  makes  available  sand  and 
gravel  which,  unwashed,  would  be  wholly  unfit  for 
concrete.  Such  a  plant  is  inexpensive  to  operate.  It 
washes  and  grades  the  material  in  one  operation. 

The  following  table  gives  average  weights  of  vari¬ 
ous  aggregates.  Commercial  sand  and  gravel  com¬ 
panies  usually  provide  information  regarding  the 
weights  of  their  particular  product.  Their  figure 
should  be  used  in  estimating  work  wherever  ob¬ 
tainable. 


AVERAGE  WEIGHTS  OF 

Material 

Sand . 

Limestone . 

Granite . 

Trap  rock . 

Crushed  gravel . 


AGGREGATES 

Pounds  per 
Cubic  Yard 

.  2,700 

.  2,400 

.  2,500 

.  2,700 

.  2,800 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRET  E  JOBS 


107 


VOLUME  OF  CONCRETE  FROM  VARIOUS  MIXTURES 
Quantities  of  materials  given  in  table  below  have  been  meas¬ 
ured  loosely  without  compacting: 


Materials 

Volume  in  Cubic  Feet 

Mixture 

Stone  in 
Cubic  Feet 

Cement  in 
Sacks 

Sand  in 
Cubic  Feet 

Mortar 

Concrete 

1:1  H 

i 

in 

2  to 

1:2 

i 

2 

1:3 

1:13-2  =  3 

i 

i 

3 

1  3  2 

3 

2;y 

3A 

1-2:3 

i 

2 

3 

3fo 

1:2:4 

i 

2 

4 

4J4 

1:234  =  4 

i 

2H 

4 

44 

1:234:5 

i 

2'A 

5 

1:3:5 

i 

3 

5 

3  5 

This  table  shows  very  clearly  how  the  sand  and 
cement  fill  the  voids  in  the  large  aggregate  or  stone. 
Note  that  in  a  mix  of  1:2:4,  being  7  cubic  feet  of 
dry  material,  we  get  but  4J^j  cubic  feet  of  concrete, 
water  and  all.  In  other  words,  the  addition  of  3  cubic 
feet  of  sand  and  cement  swells  the  volume  of  the  large 
aggregate  but  a  half  a  cubic  foot. 

This  fact  makes  very  evident  the  importance  of 
keeping  the  water  content  as  low  as  possible,  not  only 
because  it  is  a  space  filler  which  later  evaporates,  but 
because  of  the  prime  necessity  of  having  the  cement 
and  sand  fill  every  void  in  the  large  aggregate. 

Wet  or  soupy  concrete  will  frequently  become 
rocky,  porous  concrete. 


108 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


The  Colorimetric  Test 


1 


Sand  suitable  for  work  re¬ 
quiring  high  grade  concrete 


2 

Sand  which  may  be  used  in 
less  important  work 


To  determine  the  presence  of  organic  matter  in  sand  obtain  a 
12-ounce  graduated  bottle  and  fill  to  the  4>£-ounce  mark  with 
the  sand.  Add  a  3  per  cent  solution  of  caustic  soda  (one  ounce 
of  caustic  soda  dissolved  in  32  ounces  of  water  makes  a  3  per 
cent  solution)  until  the  combined  volume  of  sand  and  solution 
amounts  to  7  ounces. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


109 


The  Colorimetric  Test  (Continued) 


3 


4 


Sand  of  doubtful  quality.  Use 
only  for  minor  work  when  no 
better  material  is  available 


Sand  which  should  not  be 
used  in  concrete 


Shake  thoroughly  for  a  few  minutes,  and  let  stand  for  twenty- 
four  hours.  At"  the  end  of  this  time  observe  the  color  of  the 
liquid  above  the  sand.  This  is  an  approximate  test  for  the 
presence  of  injurious  organic  matter  in  sand.  It  furnishes  a 
warning  that  further  tests  of  doubtful  sand  are  necessary. 


Silt  or  loam  should  be 

2  inches  clean  sand  I  less  than  }/s  inch 


110 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Test  to  determine  quantity  of  silt  or  loam  in  sand 


Coarse  sand 

An  actual  sample,  full  size 


Coarse  sand 

Grains  separated  to  show  fineness 

'his  sand  is  about  as  coarse  as  sand  should  be  for  use  in  concrete, 
t  gives  good  strength,  but  makes  a  harsh  mixture  which  requires 
careful  placing  in  the  forms 


P/.rfP  111 


Medium  sand 
An  actual  sample,  full  size 


Medium  sand 

Grains  separated  to  show  fineness 

This  sand  is  almost  an  ideal  concrete  sand,  containing  the  same 
amount  of  grains  of  all  different  sizes 

Page  112 


Fine  sand 

An  actual  sample,  full  size 


Fine  sand 

Grains  separated  to  < ^“^fin^rafns  and  is  about  as 
This  sand  for  use  in  concrete  ^  JJ3 


114 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


RECOMMENDED  PROPORTIONS  FOR  VARIOUS  WORK 


Mixture 

Maximum 

Size 

Aggregate 

Arbors . 

1:2:3 

1" 

Area  ways . 

1:234:4 

134" 

Barn  approaches . 

1:234=4 

1 34" 

Bins . 

1:2:3 

i  34" 

Boiler  settings . 

1:2:4 

2" 

Catch  basins . 

1:2:3 

134" 

Cellars . 

1:2:4 

l  34" 

Cisterns . 

1:2:3 

1" 

Cold-frames . 

1:234:4 

1" 

Courts — tennis  and  croquet . 

1:234:4 

134" 

Curbs . 

1:234:4 

134" 

Dipping  vats . 

1:2:3 34 

i  34" 

Driveways . 

1:2:4 

l  34" 

Engine  beds . 

1:2:4 

2" 

Fence  posts . 

1:2:3 

yy 

Floors . 

1:234=4 

i  34" 

Floors,  reinforced . 

1:2:3 

V 

Foundations — (mass) . 

1 : 2)4:5 

3" 

Gutters . 

1:234=4 

134" 

Hog  wallows . 

1:2:334 

2" 

Hotbeds . 

1:234=4 

V 

Manure  pits . 

1:234=4 

134" 

Pavements . 

1: 2:3)4 

234" 

Piers,  house . 

1:2:334 

2" 

Retaining  walls . 

1:2:3 34 

134" 

Roads . 

1:2:334 

234" 

Roofs . 

1:2:3 

134" 

Runways . 

1:234=4 

134" 

Sidewalks . 

1:234=4 

134" 

Steps  and  stairways . 

1:234=4 

l" 

Slabs . 

1:2:3 

134" 

Septic  tanks . 

1:2:4 

l" 

Septic  tank  covers . 

1:2:3 

Va" 

Storage  cellar  walls . 

1:234  =  4 

134" 

Storage  cellar  roofs . 

1:2:3 

134" 

Stucco . 

1:3 

34" 

Tanks . 

1:2:3 

l" 

Tree  surgery . 

1:3 

34" 

Troughs,  water . 

1:2:3 

V 

Walls . 

1:2:4 

134" 

Walls  subjected  to  moisture . 

1:2:3 

134" 

These  mixtures  are  suggested  as  correct  under 
normal  or  average  conditions. 


ON  EVERYDAY  CO  NCRETE  JOBS 


115 


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116 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


Reinforcing  Steel 

TirORK  requiring  the  extensive  use  of  reinforcing 
*  »  steel,  such  as  columns  and  floor  slabs,  should  be 
designed  by  an  engineer  or  architect.  His  services 
will  assure  correct  design  and  remove  the  danger  of 
failure  from  insufficient  or  misplaced  reinforcing 
material. 

Steel  is  always  sold  by  weight.  The  data  given 
below  will  be  of  assistance  in  figuring  the  weight  of 
reinforcing  material  needed. 

In  this  table  the  areas  and  weights  of  square  and 
round  bars  are  given.  Square  twisted  bars,  which 
are  frequently  used,  have  the  same  weight  as  straight- 
square  bars. 


AREAS  AND  WEIGHTS  OF  REINFORCING  STEEL 


Size 

Inches 

Round  Bars 

Square  Bars 

Area 

Square  Inches 

Pounds 

Per  Foot 

Area 

Square  Inches 

Pounds 

Per  Foot 

Vs 

.0123 

.042 

.0156 

.053 

V 

.0491 

.167 

.0625 

.213 

Vs 

.1105 

.376 

.1406 

.478 

y2 

.1963 

.668 

.2500 

.850 

Vs 

.3068 

1.043 

.3906 

1.328 

?4 

.4418 

1.502 

.5625 

1.913 

Vs 

.6013 

2.044 

.7656 

2.603 

1 

.7854 

2.670 

1.0000 

3.400 

.9940 

3.380 

1.2656 

4.303 

IK 

1.2272 

4.172 

1.5625 

5.313 

iVs 

1.4849 

5.049 

1.8906 

6.428 

IV 

1.7671 

6.008 

2.2500 

7.650 

m 

2.0739 

7.051 

2.6406 

8.978 

m 

2.4053 

8.178 

3.0625 

10.413 

2.7612 

9.388 

3.5156 

11.953 

2 

3.1416 

10.681 

4.0000 

13.600 

ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


117 


MASONRY 


Kind 

Weight  in 
Pounds  per 
Cubic  Foot 

Kind 

Weight  in 
Pounds  per 
Cubic  Foot 

Concrete,  cinder. . .  • 

110 

Mortar  rubble,  sand- 

130 

Concrete,  stone . 

140  to  150 

stone . 

Concrete,  reinforced 

150 

Mortar  rubble,  lime¬ 
stone  . 

150 

Brick  masonry,  soft . 

100 

Mortar  rubble,  gran- 

155 

Brick  masonry,  com- 

ite . 

mon . 

125 

Ashlar  sandstone .  .  . 

140 

Brick  masonry, 

Ashlar  limestone .  .  . 

160 

pressed . 

140 

Ashlar  granite . 

165 

WEIGHTS  OF  MATERIAL 


Substance 

Weight, 
Pounds 
oer  Cubic 
Foot 

Ashlar  Masonry 

Granite,  syenite,  gneiss 

165 

Limestone,  marble  .  .  . 

160 

Sandstone,  bluestone. . 

140 

Dry  Rubble 
Masonry 

Granite,  syenite,  gneiss 

130 

Limestone,  marble. .  .  . 

125 

Sandstone,  bluestone . . 

110 

Brick  Masonry 

Pressed  brick . 

140 

Common  brick . 

120 

Soft  brick . 

100 

Concrete  Masonry 

Cement,  stone,  sand.  . 

144 

Cement,  slag,  etc . 

130 

Cement,  cinder,  etc - 

100 

Various  Building 
Materials 

Ashes,  cinders . 

40-45 

Cement,  portland 

90 

loose . 

Substance 

Weight, 
Pounds 
per  Cubic 
Foot 

Various  Building 

Materials — {Con- 

tinned ) 

Cement,  portland,  set. 

183 

Lime,  gypsum,  loose.  . 

53-64 

Mortar,  set . 

103 

Slags,  bank  slag . 

67-72 

Slags,  bank  screenings. 

98-117 

Slags,  machine  slag.  . . 

96 

Slags,  slag  sand . 

49-55 

Earth,  Etc., 
Excavated 

Clay,  dry . 

Clay,  damp,  plastic .  . 
Clay  and  gravel,  dry . 
Earth,  dry,  loose 
Earth,  dry,  packed . . . 
Earth,  moist,  loose. . 
Earth,  moist,  packed 
Earth,  mud,  flowing. 
Earth,  mud,  packed. 
Riprap,  limestone. . . 
Riprap,  sandstone .  . 
Riprap,  shale . 


63 

110 

100 

76 

95 
78 

96 
108 
115 

80-115 

90 

105 


118 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


WEIGHTS  OF  MATERIAL — (Continued) 


Substance 


Earth,  Etc.,  Exca¬ 
vated—  {Continued) 
Sand,  gravel,  dry, 

loose . 

Sand,  gravel,  dry, 

packed . 

Sand,  gravel,  dry,  wet . 

Stone,  Quarried, 
Piled 

Basalt,  granite,  gneiss . 
Limestone,  marble, 

quartz . 

Sandstone . 

Shale . 

Greenstone,  horn¬ 
blende  . 

Timber,  U.  S. 
Seasoned 

Ash,  white-red . 

Cedar,  white-red . 

Chestnut . 

Cypress . 

Elm,  white . 

Fir,  Douglas  spruce .  .  . 


Weight, 
Pounds 
per  Cubic 
Foot 

Substance 

Weight, 
Pounds 
per  Cubic 
Foot 

Timber,  U.  S.  Sea¬ 
soned —  ( Continued ) 
Fir,  eastern . 

25 

90-105 

Hemlock . 

29 

Hickory . 

49 

100-120 

Locust . 

46 

118-120 

Maple,  hard . 

43 

Maple,  white . 

33 

Oak,  chestnut . 

54 

Oak,  live . 

59 

96 

Oak,  red,  black . 

41 

Oak,  white . 

46 

95 

82 

92 

Pine,  Oregon . 

32 

Pine,  red . 

30 

Pine,  white . 

26 

Pine,  yellow,  long-leaf . 

44 

107 

Pine,  yellow,  short-leaf 

38 

Poplar . 

30 

Redwood,  California .  . 

26 

Spruce,  white,  black.. 

27 

Walnut,  black . 

38 

40 

Walnut,  white . 

26 

22 

Moisture  Contents: 

41 

Seasoned  timber,  15 

30 

to  20% 

45 

Green  timber,  up  to 

32 

50% 

ON  EVERYDAY  CONCRETE  JOBS 


119 


WEIGHTS  OF  BUILDING  MATERIALS 


Kind 

Weight  in 
Pounds  per 
Square  Foot 

Floors 

%"  maple  finish  floor  and  %"  spruce  under  floor  on 
2"  x  4"  sleepers,  16"  centers,  with  2"  dry  cinder 

18 

Cinder  concrete  filling  per  inch  of  thickness . 

7 

12 

18 

21 

23 

Ceilings 

5 

10 

Roofs 

6 

Four-ply  felt  and  gravel . 

5'A 

1 

16 

Slate,  J4"  thick . 

9K 

Kind 

Weight  in  Pounds  per  Square  Foot 

Unplastered 

One  Side 
Plastered 

Both  Sides 
Plastered 

Walls 

9"  Brick  Wall . 

84 

89 

13"  Brick  Wall . 

121 

126 

18"  Brick  Wall . 

168 

173 

22"  Brick  Wall . 

205 

210 

26"  Brick  Wall . 

243 

248 

4"  Brick,  4"  Tile  Backing  . 

60 

65 

4"  Brick,  8"  Tile  Backing. 

75 

80 

9"  Brick,  4"  Tile  Backing  . 

102 

107 

8"  Tile . 

33 

38 

43 

12"  Tile . 

45 

50 

55 

Partitions 

3"  Clay  Tile . 

17 

22 

27 

4"  Clay  Tile . 

18 

23 

28 

6"  Clay  Tile . 

25 

30 

35 

8"  Clay  Tile . 

31 

36 

41 

10"  Clay  Tile . 

35 

40 

45 

3"  Gypsum  Block . 

10 

15 

20 

4"  Gypsum  Block . 

12 

17 

22 

5"  Gypsum  Block . 

14 

19 

24 

6"  Gypsum  Block . 

16 

21 

26 

MATERIALS  REQUIRED  FOR  100  5 


120 


CONTRACTORS  HANDY  BOOK 


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Stone 
cu.  yds. 

0.60 

0.72 

0.84 

0.95 

1.07 

1.19 

1.31 

1.43 

Sand 
cu.  yds. 

0.40 

0.48 

0.56 

0.64 

0.72 

0.80 

0.88 

0.96 

Lehigh 

cement 

sacks 

5.4 

6.5 

7.5 

8.6 
9.7 

10.8 

11.8 

12.9 

^  ^  ^  X 

M^C^rtTjiioiOO 


SUGGESTION  SHEET 


To  Readers  of  the  “Handy  Boo\”: 

We  trust  this  has  really  been  a  handy  book  to  you  on  your  every- 
day  concrete  jobs.  Readers  of  previous  editions  were  very  kind  to  praise 
the  book  highly.  Their  comments  were  gratifying,  but  we  feel  the  book 
can  be  bettered  and  we  welcome  suggestions  to  this  end. 

Will  you  use  this  sheet,  please,  for  listing  any  subjects  not  already 
covered  and  which  are  of  sufficient  general  interest  to  deserve  discussion 
in  following  editions? 

Revised  editions  will  help  you  as  well  as  other  readers,  and  if  we 
have  helped  you  so  far,  we  are  sure  you  will  help  us. 

Than\  You! 


LEHIGH  PORTLAND  CEMENT  CO. 

ALLENTOWN  CHICAGO 

PENNA.  ILL. 

I  would  like  to  see  the  Handy  Book  contain  information  on: 


l\[ame - 

Address — 


|  DETACH  HERE  } 


